World 400m champion Collen Kebinatshipi has urged African federations to “protect” their athletes after World Athletics blocked six runners from the continent who wanted to transfer their allegiance to Turkey.
Switching nationality has increasingly become an attractive option for athletes seeking better incentives and structured support.
However, this growing trend has contributed to a talent drain across Africa.
Botswana’s Kebinatshipi acknowledged athletes “go through a lot” – particularly in preparing for international competitions – but has urged national governing bodies to offer more support.
“Spending sometimes can be a bit challenging,” Kebinatshipi, 22, told BBC Sport Africa.
“I think they [African athletes] are doing that because they want to go where they can cut costs [and] be supported.”
Earlier this month five Kenyans, including former women’s marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei, and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili were targeted with what World Athletics, the sport’s governing body, described as “lucrative” contract offers from Turkey.
Ofili’s situation drew particular attention after the 23-year-old was left off the entry list for the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics because of an administrative error by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
In response to the World Athletics ruling, the AFN stressed the importance of “unity” and creating the “right environment” for the sprint star to thrive.
“It’s just about support from federations keeping up with their status and standards,” said Kebinatshipi.
“That can play a big role when it comes to athletes [who] want to switch their citizenship to other countries.”