Athlete Runs Into Trouble
Illawarra Mercury
Friday January 12, 2007
Hopefully marathon runner Mushir Salem Jawher really enjoyed winning the Tiberias marathon in Israel last week. The athlete is now stateless as a result. Born Leonard Mucheru, he previously defected to Bahrain from Kenya but now he has been stripped of his new citizenship for entering Israel. To make matters worse, Kenyan authorities say they will not give him back their nationality. "I was never told it was illegal to enter Israel," Jawher told a Kenyan newspaper. "I really don't know what to do." He is one of several long-distance athletes to move from East Africa to the Gulf on lucrative contracts.
Luke Keenanlkeenan@illawarramercury.com.au
© 2007 Illawarra Mercury