ESAT News (December 28, 2016)

Haile Gebreselassie, the new president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) told Reuters on Wednesday that Ethiopia will impose lifetime bans on drug cheats.

Ethiopia is one of five countries the International association of athletics Federations (IAAF) says is in “critical care” over its drug-testing systems.

The Reuters report recalled that the Horn of Africa country has for many years dominated distance running along with neighboring Kenya, but it had its credibility questioned this year when six of its athletes came under investigation for doping.

The report said the Ethiopian Athletics Federation subsequently announced that it would carry out tests on up to 200 athletes.

Distance-running great Haile Gebrselassie, who was elected head of the EAF last month amid discontent over mismanagement, told Reuters his administration has adopted a “zero tolerance” approach toward doping.

“Our stand is no excuse toward someone who has cheated. As of today, any athlete who has offended will be hit by a life ban,” he said.

The move means Ethiopian athletes who fail tests and are subject to a four-year ban from Dec. 28 onwards will no longer be able to represent the country in any competition.

The punishment is much stricter than the one currently imposed by the International Olympic Committee whose rules stipulate that athletes caught doping can face four-year bans but after serving it they are eligible to compete in any international event, including the Olympics.

Gebrselassie told Reuters that his aim was to convince the sport’s world governing body that Ethiopia was serious in tackling doping and for it to be removed from the list of countries identified by IAAF president Sebastian Coe as in need of “critical care”.