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Algerian Athletes Banned from International Competition

Algeria is a country that has always had a number of excellent athletes representing it in meets and international competitions. Many top Algerian middle and long distance athletes are extremely prominent in the global arena, including Noriah Marah-Benida (the African women?s champion in 1500m) and Tarek Boukensa (fifth in the world in the men?s 1500m).
Therefore, the recent news that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was barring Algerian athletes from competing in international competitions, came as a shock the sportspeople of this African country.

The controversy began when Algeria?s Minister of Sport, Yahia Guidom, dissolved the country?s athletics federation in September of this year. The minister suspended the federation?s officers for a period of four years. The world governing body demanded that Guidom reinstate the suspended officers but instead he set up a new federation at the beginning of November. As a result, the IAAF saw no other solution but to ban Algerian athletes from competing in events outside of the country?s borders.

This rare decision was taken when the IAAF met in Monaco. Very few countries have had their athletes banned in the organization?s history. South African athletes were prohibited from competing during the terrible apartheid years and, more recently, Afghanistan?s Taliban rule led to the ban of that country?s athletes.