UK Athletics Fined Over Death of UAE Paralympic Athlete Abdullah Hayayei

UK Athletics Fined $471,000 for 2017 Death of Paralympic Athlete Abdullah Hayayei

A UK Athletics fine of $471,000 was announced on Tuesday as a result of the death of Abdullah Hayayei, a Paralympic athlete from the United Arab Emirates. Hayayei died in 2017 while training at the Newham Leisure Centre in London, where he was preparing for the World Para Athletics Championships.

According to an investigation by police and health and safety officials, the metal lattice base plates of the discus cage were missing when it fell on Hayayei, causing his death. UK Athletics pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter in February and was issued the fine, as well as ordered to pay $59,000 in court costs.

Additionally, Keith Davies, the head of sport for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, also pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act. He was sentenced to a community order with 175 hours of unpaid work.

In a statement, Colin Gibbs from Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service stated that UK Athletics were “grossly negligent in their safety management” which led to Hayayei’s death. UK Athletics expressed remorse for the incident, stating that the failings identified in this case should never have happened and that they are committed to learning from these events and ensuring stronger standards and safeguards are in place throughout athletics.

Source: Al Jazeera