The Woyanne-controlled EAF is trying to force Haile Gebreselassie to run the Beijing Olympics marathon risking his health just to make the Chinese communists happy.
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Haile Gebrselassie told to obey rules
(Reuters) – WORLD record-holder Haile Gebrselassie cannot opt out of the Beijing Olympics marathon and must follow Ethiopian sports rules, the country’s athletics federation have said.
Gebrselassie, who suffers from exercise-related asthma, told Reuters this week he would not run the 42.195km event because he feared Beijing’s air pollution was a threat to his health.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said his withdrawal was fully justified and that no one could force him to compete but the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) said the decision was not his to make.
“It is not up to Haile Gebrselassie to decide on participation in the marathon event in Beijing,” EAF technical director Dube Jillo said.
“It is the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, representing the nation, that determines whether Haile is fit to compete in the marathon event in Beijing’s Olympics or not.”
The twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion, who will attempt to qualify for the 10,000 in Beijing, is one of a long list of athletes and officials to have voiced concern over pollution in the city.
Dube’s remarks on Friday seemed to contradict a statement he made on Monday saying that it would be Gebrselassie’s own choice whether to run in the marathon or 10,000m.
IOC President Jacques Rogge has said the long-distance events could be rescheduled if conditions were too bad. A BBC report quoted Gebrselassie as saying he would consider running the marathon if the venue were changed.
Gebrselassie was not immediately available for comment.
Dube said a team of doctors and officials would decide whether Gebrselassie was fit to compete in the event.
“The federation will start selection of the country’s athletic team at the end of April based on criteria to qualify, which takes athletes’ current performances and conditions into consideration,” he said.
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Beijing cools down Gebrselassie offer
(TDN) – Chinese officials poured cold water yesterday on Ethiopian world record holder Haile Gebrselassie’s offer to run in the Beijing Olympic marathon if the venue was switched.
Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing Olympic organizing committee said, “The course for the marathon has been fixed and there are no plans to change it,” the Agence France-Presse reported.
Earlier this week Gebrselassie, an asthma sufferer, told reporters he would skip the marathon in Beijing for fear the city’s notorious pollution could damage his health and even bring his glorious career to a premature end. But he has since appeared to relent, and was quoted saying earlier yesterday that he would consider taking part if the venue for the marathon was switched to a less polluted location.
“Beijing is a beautiful city, the marathon route is well planned, and the spectators are hospitable,” said Sun. “As for the pollution, we are confident that we can deliver good air quality for the Games.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was Gebrselassie’s withdrawal was fully justified but will otherwise have no effect on the Games.
“This was a personal choice and no one can force him to run at the event,” IOC Vice President Lambis Nikolaou told Reuters. “Considering his condition (asthma) it is totally justified but it will not have any effect on the Games themselves.”
Meanwhile, sales of game tickets have started. In Turkey, ticket purchases can be made through the Tourism and Travel Agencies Foundation (TURSAV) Web site, www.tursav.org.
The opening ceremony is the highest priced event at $245-725, while final games for basketball, football, athletics, volleyball, swimming and table tennis range between $64-128.
11 thoughts on “Woyanne forces Haile to run Beijing marathon”
our ‘military’ is paying lives in Somalia to keep Woyane in good terms with Bush Administration ,similarly Haile is costing his life to keep chinese happy.
Haile should not run if he does not wnat to. The woyane will do any thing to kiss the chines’s behind as they do the west’s. Haile should not have to be forced to run!!!
I feel pretty ignorant right now because I don’t know very much about the Woyanne and their relationship to Haile Gebrselassie, the government, and other countries in Africa. Anyone care to comment and explain this a little better for me?
it is just frustrating to see who we are become somekind of joke for this nonsense government. when Haile said he can not compete in this event, it is because he knows what he is cable of in this kind of polluted air. so who are these to tell haile that they know how his body function. Let’s say Haile paticipate on this event gets hurt, who is going to be responsible? how are they going to answere to the ethiopian people about our golden athelet?. i think our patience with them when they push all this time might gave them the idea that we ethiopians are dociles. They killed our kids for voicing their concern but we did not rise and for answer, they sky rocked the living cost and we decided we will sleep without eating, they sold us 1killo salt for 10birr again we said that is okay, and know they are telling us the are experts on person’s health condition. i just wonder when are we going to say enough is enough? where are those leaders that we chose to stand up our people? we did all we can to get them out jail hoping they will risk their life to stand up for injustice that placed upon our people. where are they? where is Birtukan? where is Berhanu? where are they? how long we are will to let this happen to our people? let’s stop the talk ans start to walk the talk.
The resorce hungry Chinese Szars are manouvering the scared and illegitimate Wayane dictatorship for soft entry and smooth landing in Ethiopia and the entire horn while gradually geting firmly entrenched soon leaving no worldly scapeholes for Africans to negotiate any favourable terms or conditions in the emerging relationships.
Forcing Haile Gebre Sellassie aginst his will and conscience is a gross violation of human rights and the promotion and practice of slavery that must be condemned with the strongest possible terms.
What next? Forcing 80 mmillion poor Ethiopians to work free for the future Chinese companies as the 21st century slaves?
just out of curiosity, what kind of political system does our country follow? unless we live in a state where dictatorship is a norm,individual rights are respected.haile has every right to make his own independent choice without government influance.weyane has to back off!!
I am sure china’s pollution is far better than ethiopia’s deset where haile get training. It is a dirty political game against china.
The Chinese are the masters now in disguise. Woyanne can not afford to lose them. So Haile has no choice but to go. It is an embarrassement for the Chinese too to not have high profile like Haile not attending the Marathon. He will be forced one way or another.
What a country !!? Today’s Ethiopia, human wrights abuse taking its free toll on its people, our time’s Nero Claudius Caesar Meless became 80 millions slaves uncontested master.
Haile Gebreselassie don’t run this Beijing Marathon, representing this illegal, occupying junta, that is killing our people, its your undeniable right to run or not. Your health is our asset, all genuine Ethiopian truly care about you. Even if they dare to throw you in jail for that, they will see afterward the consequence; maybe you will spark the final battle for their demise.
Remember the Marathon founder the ancient Greek hero PHLIPIDIS run for the cause of peace.
do u have scientific data that shows ethiopian dest far dangerous than chaina pollusion? i beg ur excellency pardon for my ignorancy !! please elaborate the word pollusion. in my opinion this can’t be a political issue ,but health concern.
yekerablen
God will bless the great ethiopian african athlete really we are proud of him