Posted: June 30, 2004

Athletics: Mushir Salem Jawher of Bahrain Not Eligible to set National Records

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

The athlete previously known as Leonard Mucheru of Kenya (KEN), Mushir Salem Jawher of Bahrain (BRN), is not eligible to set national records for his new country, according to Winfried Kramer, who compiles national records for the IAAF.

"An athlete can only set a NR if he/she is eligible for that country," said Kramer in an e-mail message to RRW. "Here in these BRN cases, neither the Kenyan Federation nor the IAAF agreed to this transfer."

Jawher began his 2003 competitive year as "Leonard Mucheru" representing Kenya. He competed on the Kenyan national team at the IAAF Indoor Championships in Birmingham, GBR, finishing seventh in 7:44.83. He entered the summer track season still running under the Kenyan flag, and even competing in the Kenyan Trials for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics (he finished 9th in the 5000m in 13:35.0). Still representing Kenya, he set a 5000m personal best of 13:01.76 at the Weltklasse in Zurich on 15-Aug. He finished his outdoor season at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Monte Carlo, placing fourth in 7:40.20 in the 3000m.

Months later in December, at the CISM World Military Games in Catania, Italy, an athlete under the name "Mucheru Salem Jawher" finished sixth in the 5000m representing Bahrain. It was Leonard Mucheru, now with the new Islamic name, "Mushir Salem Jawher."

Then in Feburary of 2004, Jawher represented Bahrain at the Asian Indoor Championships in Tehran, winning the 3000m. A few weeks later, Jawher competed in Athens at an indoor meet, running the 3000m in 7:42.55, an apparent Asian Record.

But in March, 2004 notes from the IAAF Council Meeting revealed that Jawher's performances, along with those by Abel Yagoot Jowhar Salem (the former Kenyan Abel Cheruiyot) who also changed citizenship to Bahrain, had been annulled where they wore the colors of Bahrain, including the CISM World Military Games and the Asian Indoor Championships. Because Kenya did not approve the transfer of allegiance to Bahrain, and Jawher had competed for Kenya in international competition on 16-Mar-2003, he is not eligible to compete for Bahrain until 16-Mar-2006.

In summary, performances for Jawher cannot be considered for national records for Bahrain until 16-Mar-2006, nor can he represent this country in international competitions. He is free to compete commercially, of course.