President of the UAE Athletics Federation allegedly offered watches to IAAF members during his vice-presidential campaign

International Association of Athletics Federations vice-presidential candidate Ahmad Al Kamali has been accused of offering Rolex watches to fellow IAAF members during his campaign.

Spanish newspaper El Pa s has reported that the UAE Athletics Federation president allegedly offered the watches to around 40 delegates who are entitled to vote in the IAAF elections later on this year at the African Athletics Congress in Addis Ababa held earlier this month.

According to El Pa s, the IAAF received a letter outlining the allegations and is investigating.

The newspaper highlighted comments from a president of an African federation present at the meeting. His comments, made via email and translated via Google translate, reportedly read: “I heard about the story and participated in conversations and discussions about it. Some delegates were responsible enough to turn back the clock (return the watch) or leave it untouched in the room that had deposited.”

Al Kamali, who is also general co-ordinator of the Dubai Marathon, also allegedly offered the federation president money and equipment to organise an event in this country, the president reportedly adding via email: “But I declined the offer because he is a candidate in elections to the IAAF.”

These latest allegations follow other reports of corruption within the sport, with claims of systematic doping in Russia and a German TV documentary alleging that the IAAF ignored a number of ‘suspicious’ blood values.

IAAF Congress will be held in Beijing in August, when the race for IAAF presidency will also conclude. Lord Seb Coe is among the candidates and faces competition to succeed Lamine Diack from fellow IAAF vice president and pole vault great Sergey Bubka.

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