Doesn't seem right.
Doesn't seem right.
I believe it's because they have to take a Muslim name.
A Muslim name has to be an Arabic name? Not very inclusive, now are they?
Its similar in Japan if you want to become a citizen, you must change you name so it can be spelled with kanji .
Because they are hired out to run for that particular country and their contract, aka citizenship agreement, requires it. The athletes usually receive very lucrative support from the government in return. I think they hope that 30 years from now everyone will forget that the country sub contracted their national athletes. It's sad, really, that these countries are buying their way to gold medals rather than building their programs through hard work.
This is one of the things I appreciate about the east African American runners (Meb, Lagat, Abdi, KK)...our government didn't go to them and pay them to become citizens. These Americans wanted to be Americans and they became one just like everyone else who becomes an naturalized American. They should be treated the same as every other top American athlete.
Coach Carl wrote:
s one of the things I appreciate about the east African American runners (Meb, Lagat, Abdi, KK)...our government didn't go to them and pay them to become citizens. These Americans wanted to be Americans and they became one just like everyone else who becomes an naturalized American. They should be treated the same as every other top American athlete.
But if we DID make them change their names, what would they be?
Meb = Mel Kuperman
BL = Bernard Logan
AA = Abe Abramson
KK = Kelly Connors
??
Or...
Meb = Moe DeLawn
KK = Kris P. Kreme
Abdi = Adam Zapple
Lagat = Burton Ernie
They are reversing that now. There are severals Kenyans who have kept their names. Nicholas Kemboi(sr) etc Abel C'Kurui.
"A Muslim name has to be an Arabic name?"
-isn't that racist and profiling?
Coach Carl wrote:
Because they are hired out to run for that particular country and their contract, aka citizenship agreement, requires it. The athletes usually receive very lucrative support from the government in return. I think they hope that 30 years from now everyone will forget that the country sub contracted their national athletes. It's sad, really, that these countries are buying their way to gold medals rather than building their programs through hard work.
This is one of the things I appreciate about the east African American runners (Meb, Lagat, Abdi, KK)...our government didn't go to them and pay them to become citizens. These Americans wanted to be Americans and they became one just like everyone else who becomes an naturalized American. They should be treated the same as every other top American athlete.
Having spent a lot of time in both Bahrain and Qatar, I wouldn't hold your breath that those countries are going to build their own programs. Gulf Arabs are in general rich and lazy. They contact almost all manual labor and service work out to foreigners. In the UAE and Qatar it would be hard to find one Arab working in a restaurant, digging a ditch, etc.. The culture simply isn't there to produce elite athletes in large quantities.
Probably get speared!
Look at the option: want your head chopped off? Come ON will ya?
Why Cassius Clay wanted to become Muhammad Ali ?