World Athletics rejects 11 elite athletes’ requests for Turkish citizenship

The World Athletics nationality review panel has rejected applications from 11 elite track and field athletes seeking Turkish citizenship, the federation announced Thursday.

Among the rejected applicants was Roje Stona, the Jamaican Olympic discus throw champion, according to a statement on worldathletics.org. The decision follows reports in 2025 that Turkey had offered athletes financial incentives—including $500,000 lump sums and monthly bonuses—to represent the country in international competitions.

The panel ruled that approving the requests would violate key principles of nationality transfer regulations. It found that the applications were part of a “coordinated recruitment strategy” led by a government-affiliated club, designed to fast-track citizenship for foreign athletes ahead of major events, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Such an approach, the federation stated, undermines the integrity of international competition and discourages investment in domestic talent development. The rejected athletes will remain ineligible to compete for Turkey in national team events or other significant international tournaments.

Other high-profile applicants denied citizenship include:

• Catherine Relin Amanang’ole (Kenya)
• Rajindra Campbell (Jamaica)
• Jaydon Hibbert (Jamaica)
• Brian Kibora (Kenya)
• Brigid Kosgei (Kenya)
• Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya)
• Nelvin Jepkemboi (Kenya)
• Favour Ofili (Nigeria)
• Wayne Pinnock (Jamaica)
• Sophia Yakushina (Russia)