Athletics-Bahrain revokes athlete's passport after Israel run

MANAMA, Jan 7 (Reuters) Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of a Kenyan-born athlete after he took part in a marathon in Israel without permission, a Bahraini athletics official said today.

The Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) also struck Mushir Salem Jawher from its list and is withholding the passport he uses to run under the Bahraini flag after he won the January 4 Tiberias marathon in Israel, with which Bahrain has no diplomatic ties.

''This is outside the rules and he went to Israel without telling anyone,'' BAA deputy president Mohammed Abdul Jalal told Reuters.

''It's possible that we can look at his situation again if he has an excuse, but going to a country we are boycotting is completely forbidden.'' Jawher was not immediately available for a comment.

Bahrain gave Jawher, whose original name is Leonard Mucheru, citizenship in 2002. Jawher won a silver medal for Bahrain at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, the only international medal he has won for the country, Jalal said.

Most Arab countries ban athletes from competing in sports activities in Israel.

REUTERS SAM VC1616