UK Athletics faces a huge fine after admitting responsibility for the death of a Paralympian struck by a metal pole during shot put training. Abdullah Hayayei, 36, a father-of-five representing the United Arab Emirates, was fatally injured at Newham leisure centre in east London on 11 July 2017.
UK Athletics Ltd pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter. Keith Davies, 79, then head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, admitted a health and safety charge. Judge Richard Marks KC will sentence UK Athletics and Mr Davies, of Leytonstone, east London, over two days at the Old Bailey from Monday. Corporate manslaughter carries a fine between £180,000 and £20 million, according to guidelines.
Mr Hayayei was fatally injured when part of a throwing cage fell on him as he was practicing shot putting.
He had been preparing to represent his country in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London.
Police and other emergency services were called, but despite the efforts of medical staff he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inquiries established the throwing cage had not been put up correctly, making it unstable.
Previously, UK Athletics said it “deeply regrets” the incident, adding: “Our deepest thoughts and sympathy remain with his family, friends, team-mates and all those affected by the events of that day.”
UK Athletics, the national governing body for athletics in the UK, had an annual revenue of £13.8 million, according to latest accounts to March 2025.
However, its income, primarily from grants and sponsorship, is largely matched by expenditure.
The Metropolitan Police has said the conviction was the result of a meticulous investigation which required detailed engineering expertise to understand the chain of events that led to the tragedy.
Officers examined more than 1,500 documents, took around 160 statements, spoke with more than 80 witnesses and collated a number of expert reports.
Colin Gibbs, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Abdullah Hayayei was a father-of-five who should have been able to compete on the world stage and return home safely to his family.
“There can be no doubt that UK Athletics were grossly negligent in their safety management, which caused the death of a talented athlete.
“They left equipment in a seriously unsafe condition and Mr Hayayei’s death was wholly avoidable – a fact the organisation has admitted.
“For years there was a failure to inspect, maintain and properly manage basic safety components, leaving a heavy metal structure dangerously unstable.”
