ESAT News (September 26, 2016)
Hirut Guangul (Photo: qconline)
Ethiopian marathoner, crossed her wrist above her head, a gesture made popular by athlete Feyisa Lilesa at the Rio Olympics, as she crossed the Quad Cities Marathon on Sunday.
A number of Ethiopian athletes have used international races to draw attention to the killings, torture and mass incarceration of their compatriots by a brutal regime in the home country.
Hirut Guangul, won the race for the fourth time clocking 2:44.25 at the Quad Cities Marathon. Quad Cities is a region of four counties in northwest Illinois and Southeastern Iowa.
Another Ethiopian, Fekade Teferi won the men’s race clocking 2:16:56.
Meanwhile, Ethiopians are irate over remarks by Kenenisa Bekle, who said the TPLF regime is “solving problems democratically.” Keninisa made the remark as he won the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.
The undisputable track star draw indignation in his interview in Berlin where a journalist was asking him about the killings in Ethiopia, referring to Feyisa Lilesa’s gesture. Kenenisa was of the opinion that politics and sport should not mix.
His comment came at a time when Ethiopians were being killed by a ruthless regime and at a time when other athletes were risking everything to highlight the issue at global forums.