Tareq Mubarak Taher
Encyclopedia
Tareq Mubarak Taher, born as Dennis Kipkurui Sang , is a middle distance runner
who represents Bahrain
after changing nationality from Kenya
. His special distance is the 3000 metres steeplechase. His personal best time of 8:06.13 minutes is also the Bahraini national record, set on July 13 2009 at the Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria
in Athens
, Greece
.
, where he finished ninth in the junior race.
He later competed at the 2005 World Youth Championships
in Marrakech, Morocco where he won the 2000 metres steeplechase
event. Reportedly, Taher "made it look easy" as he let other runners lead the race until he broke away at the final water jump. With the time 5:23.95 minutes he set a new world youth's best performance. The previous best performance belonged to Kenyan Ronald Kipchumba Rutto with 5:27.64 minutes.
, then-Secretary General of the International Association of Athletics Federations
, asked Isaiah Kiplagat, president of Athletics Kenya, to help shed light on the issue. Born in Kenya under a different name, it was claimed that the identity of Taher was altered upon his switch to Bahrain, in order to qualify for international junior and youth events. According to the East African Standard, Taher had supposedly beaten Eliud Kipchoge
in a junior cross-country race in 2001. Kiplagat was quoted as saying that "I have already told IAAF that the two runners are cheats and we have the proof".
Both his former name, substituted with an Arabic name upon arrival in Bahrain, and his reported birth date were subjects of investigation for the following two years. According to the official Bahraini papers, Taher was born December 1, 1989 and named Dennis Sang. This purported birthdate would make him eligible to compete at the 2005 World Youth Championships which is open to athletes aged seventeen and less. However, both Kenya and the IAAF claim that Taher was indeed formerly named Dennis Kipkurui Keter and born on March 24, 1984. If this were the case, Taher would be 21 years old at the time of the World Youth Championships and ineligible to compete.
. During the 2005–2006 indoor season he won a silver medal at the 2006 Asian Athletics Championships in Pattaya and finished eleventh at the 2006 World Indoor Championships
in Moscow, both in the 3000 metres
distance as the 3000 metres steeplechase is not contested on indoor arenas. He opened the 2006 outdoor season by finishing nineteenth in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships
, helping the Bahraini team to a fifth place in the team competition.
At the 2006 World Junior Championships
in Beijing, Taher won the silver medal in the steeplechase race. Having crossed the last water jump aside Willy Komen
of Kenya, Komen sprinted away on the last stretch to take the gold medal in a new championship record of 8:14.00 minutes. Taher finished in 8:16.64.
Meanwhile, in the same city, the age manipulation case was brought forth at the IAAF Council meeting. The investigation had not yet concluded, but it was reported that there was "strong suspicion of age manipulation". The case had been brought to government level in Kenya as IAAF president Lamine Diack
had discussed the issue the previous month with Maina Kamanda, Kenyan Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services. Cases had also been opened for two other Bahraini athletes born in Kenya, Belal Mansoor Ali
and Aadam Ismaeel Khamis
. In addition the Council meeting reported on a similar case, involving Kenyan long-distance runner Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa, who was found to compete with a falsified age in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, the same thing for which Taher was investigated.
Towards the end of the season he finished tenth in 3000 m steeplechase at the 2006 World Athletics Final
in Stuttgart, in which he was entitled to run after collecting points during certain designated meets throughout the season. He was then selected to represent Asia at the 2006 World Cup
, a meet which gathers one competitor from each continent in each event, and finished eighth in the 3000 metres. His position in Asian steeplechase was consolidated as he won the gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games
in Doha. The reigning world champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen
, another Kenyan who changed nationality to Qatar
, was absent from the Asian Games due to injury.
in Mombasa.
Taher was found guilty of falsifying his age; according to IAAF, it had "emerged that the athlete falsified a birth certificate in order to obtain a Kenyan passport listing his birthday as 1 December 1989, when his real date of birth was 1 December 1986." In addition, his former name was found to be Dennis Kipkurui Sang. Meanwhile Belal Mansoor Ali was cleared of the same allegations, while the case of Aadam Ismaeel Khamis has not yet concluded. Reportedly, Taher "remained unfazed by the stories of being stripped of his gold medal".
The sanctions pertaining to Taher's over-age in competitions were finally announced in August 2007. His performances at the 2005 World Youth Championships, the 2007 World Cross Country Championships and the 2006 World Junior Championships were annulled, meaning that Taher lost his medals and the world youth best performance. He was not disqualified from senior meets such as the World Championships or the Asian Games or the 2005 World Cross Country Championships because he was found to hold junior age at that time. The disqualifications of Taher were particularly beneficial for Moroccan runner Abdelghani Aït Bahmad, who moved up from fourth place to bronze medal position at both the 2005 World Youth and the 2006 World Junior Championships.
It was still unknown whether the identity was forged by Taher himself or by someone else. If he is found to have forged his identity himself, Taher could face a two-year ban from the sport, similar to the suspension imposed upon first time doping offenders.
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
who represents Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
after changing nationality from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. His special distance is the 3000 metres steeplechase. His personal best time of 8:06.13 minutes is also the Bahraini national record, set on July 13 2009 at the Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria
Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria
The Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria is an annual athletics event at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 1963, held at the Panathinaiko Stadium...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Ascent in international athletics
The allegiance transfer from Kenya to Bahrain took place on 1 January 2005. Taher emerged on the international athletics scene at the 2005 World Cross Country Championships2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2005 in Saint-Étienne and Saint-Galmier , France.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
, where he finished ninth in the junior race.
He later competed at the 2005 World Youth Championships
2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2005 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Marrakesh, Morocco.The host stadium was Stade Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
in Marrakech, Morocco where he won the 2000 metres steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
event. Reportedly, Taher "made it look easy" as he let other runners lead the race until he broke away at the final water jump. With the time 5:23.95 minutes he set a new world youth's best performance. The previous best performance belonged to Kenyan Ronald Kipchumba Rutto with 5:27.64 minutes.
Identity controversy
Not soon after, however, questions arose over the identity of Taher. Istvan GyulaiIstván Gyulai
István Gyulai was a former Hungarian television commentator and General Secretary of the IAAF....
, then-Secretary General of the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
, asked Isaiah Kiplagat, president of Athletics Kenya, to help shed light on the issue. Born in Kenya under a different name, it was claimed that the identity of Taher was altered upon his switch to Bahrain, in order to qualify for international junior and youth events. According to the East African Standard, Taher had supposedly beaten Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long distance runner who has won medals at Olympic and World level....
in a junior cross-country race in 2001. Kiplagat was quoted as saying that "I have already told IAAF that the two runners are cheats and we have the proof".
Both his former name, substituted with an Arabic name upon arrival in Bahrain, and his reported birth date were subjects of investigation for the following two years. According to the official Bahraini papers, Taher was born December 1, 1989 and named Dennis Sang. This purported birthdate would make him eligible to compete at the 2005 World Youth Championships which is open to athletes aged seventeen and less. However, both Kenya and the IAAF claim that Taher was indeed formerly named Dennis Kipkurui Keter and born on March 24, 1984. If this were the case, Taher would be 21 years old at the time of the World Youth Championships and ineligible to compete.
Career continues
While age investigations were ongoing, Taher was allowed to continue his career both in international junior and senior meets. Three weeks after the World Youth Championships he finished fifteenth in 3000 m steeplechase at the 2005 World Championships2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
. During the 2005–2006 indoor season he won a silver medal at the 2006 Asian Athletics Championships in Pattaya and finished eleventh at the 2006 World Indoor Championships
2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena....
in Moscow, both in the 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
distance as the 3000 metres steeplechase is not contested on indoor arenas. He opened the 2006 outdoor season by finishing nineteenth in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships
2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners...
, helping the Bahraini team to a fifth place in the team competition.
At the 2006 World Junior Championships
2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....
in Beijing, Taher won the silver medal in the steeplechase race. Having crossed the last water jump aside Willy Komen
Willy Komen
Willy Rutto Komen is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.-Achievements:-References:...
of Kenya, Komen sprinted away on the last stretch to take the gold medal in a new championship record of 8:14.00 minutes. Taher finished in 8:16.64.
Meanwhile, in the same city, the age manipulation case was brought forth at the IAAF Council meeting. The investigation had not yet concluded, but it was reported that there was "strong suspicion of age manipulation". The case had been brought to government level in Kenya as IAAF president Lamine Diack
Lamine Diack
Lamine Diack is from Senegal and was the Chairman of the Board of the National Water Company "Société Nationale des Eaux" of Senegal from 1995-2001. He is currently the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations since 8 November 1999. He was re-elected for another 4 year...
had discussed the issue the previous month with Maina Kamanda, Kenyan Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services. Cases had also been opened for two other Bahraini athletes born in Kenya, Belal Mansoor Ali
Belal Mansoor Ali
Belal Mansoor Ali is a middle distance runner now representing Bahrain after changing nationality from Kenya.He was born John Yego on October 17, 1988 in Kenya. A lot of controversy has surrounded his age, starting when he won the 1500 metres race at the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships in...
and Aadam Ismaeel Khamis
Aadam Ismaeel Khamis
Aadam Ismaeel Khamis is a long-distance runner now representing Bahrain after his switch from Kenya.According to Bahraini officials, he was born Hosea Kosgei on 12 February 1989 in Kenya. Like fellow Bahraini runners Belal Mansoor Ali and Tareq Mubarak Taher, his age is surrounded by controversy...
. In addition the Council meeting reported on a similar case, involving Kenyan long-distance runner Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa, who was found to compete with a falsified age in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, the same thing for which Taher was investigated.
Towards the end of the season he finished tenth in 3000 m steeplechase at the 2006 World Athletics Final
2006 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*...
in Stuttgart, in which he was entitled to run after collecting points during certain designated meets throughout the season. He was then selected to represent Asia at the 2006 World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
, a meet which gathers one competitor from each continent in each event, and finished eighth in the 3000 metres. His position in Asian steeplechase was consolidated as he won the gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games
An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...
in Doha. The reigning world champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen
Saif Saaeed Shaheen
Saif Saaeed Shaheen formerly Stephen Cherono is a steeplechase runner now representing Qatar. He currently holds the world record for 3000 metre steeplechase. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.He was the 1999 World Youth Champion in the steeplechase and set a world...
, another Kenyan who changed nationality to Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, was absent from the Asian Games due to injury.
Age investigations conclude
As the IAAF investigations concluded in 2007, the outcome was reported at the IAAF Council Meeting held in conjunction with the 2007 World Cross Country Championships2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
in Mombasa.
Taher was found guilty of falsifying his age; according to IAAF, it had "emerged that the athlete falsified a birth certificate in order to obtain a Kenyan passport listing his birthday as 1 December 1989, when his real date of birth was 1 December 1986." In addition, his former name was found to be Dennis Kipkurui Sang. Meanwhile Belal Mansoor Ali was cleared of the same allegations, while the case of Aadam Ismaeel Khamis has not yet concluded. Reportedly, Taher "remained unfazed by the stories of being stripped of his gold medal".
The sanctions pertaining to Taher's over-age in competitions were finally announced in August 2007. His performances at the 2005 World Youth Championships, the 2007 World Cross Country Championships and the 2006 World Junior Championships were annulled, meaning that Taher lost his medals and the world youth best performance. He was not disqualified from senior meets such as the World Championships or the Asian Games or the 2005 World Cross Country Championships because he was found to hold junior age at that time. The disqualifications of Taher were particularly beneficial for Moroccan runner Abdelghani Aït Bahmad, who moved up from fourth place to bronze medal position at both the 2005 World Youth and the 2006 World Junior Championships.
It was still unknown whether the identity was forged by Taher himself or by someone else. If he is found to have forged his identity himself, Taher could face a two-year ban from the sport, similar to the suspension imposed upon first time doping offenders.
Personal best times
His current personal best times are:- 1500 metres1500 metresThe 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
– 3:42.8 minutes (2006) - 3000 metres3000 metresThe 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
– 7:50.31 minutes (2006) - 3000 metres steeplechase – 8:06.13 minutes (2009) – also the Bahraini record.