Athletics
GREAT ATHLETES, MO FARAH AND GEBRSELASSIE IN FURIOUS ROW OVER BURGLARY
BY MICHAEL PAVITT
Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah of Britain and multiple world record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia have become embroiled in a furious dispute over allegations the Briton was burgled at a hotel owned by the Ethiopian.
Sir Mo made the dispute public at the conclusion of a press
conference prior to competing at the London Marathon on Sunday.
The 36-year-old claimed, unprompted, that there had been an incident during the build-up to his second participation in the event.
Sir Mo alleged that while staying at Gebrselassie’s Yaya Africa
Athletics Village in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, where he had been
conducting his preparations, he returned to his room on his 36th birthday –
March 23 – to discover he had been burgled.
Yaya Africa Athletics Village, Addis Ababa
Sir Mo claimed a watch, bought by his wife as a present, had been stolen along with two mobile phones and money amounting to £2,500 in four different currencies.
“Haile owns the hotel and when you stay for three months at the hotel, it’s very disappointing to know someone who has that hotel and that kind of hotel couldn’t do nothing,” Sir Mo said.
“And at the end, they couldn’t do nothing.
“So just disappointed in Haile.”
Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, owner of the hotel
The dispute escalated spectacularly when two-time Olympic 10,000 metres champion Gebrselassie, who set 27 world records during his brilliant career, responded, dismissing Sir Mo’s comments had been “deceit”.
Gebrselassie claimed he and his hotel had offered “unreserved support and commitment in regarding to his unproven claim”.
“Our hotel has a clear policy for its clients, which states they have to declare if they have a cash amount higher than $350, so that they are given a special safe box or give it for the respective officials to keep it safe,” a statement from Gebrselassie read.
“Ironically, Mo Farah was objected (sic) the offer from our hotel, when asked, in case if he needs a safe box.
“Legally, we are not going to be accountable on the matter.”
Gebrselassie, the former President of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, claimed the incident had been immediately reported to police, with five employees claimed to have been taken into custody for five weeks.
He revealed the employees were later released after being cleared, while asserting that police had found nothing about the case.
Gebrselassie went on to criticise the conduct of Sir Mo at the hotel, adding that he had mediated after an alleged incident between the Briton and another athlete.
The statement added: “There were multiple reports of disgraceful conduct, which was not expected from a person of his calibre, and his entourage during his stay, by the hotel staff.”
Gebrselassie went on to claim “he was reported to the police for attacking (a) married athlete in the gym”.
The Ethiopian added: “But due to my mediation role, the criminal charge was able to be dropped.”
He then claimed that, despite Sir Mo, winner of the BBC Sports Personality in 2017, having been given a 50 per cent discount for his stay, he had left without paying his service bill of $3,000 (£2,300), Gebrselassie.
Gebrselassie added he initially “opted to be quiet” about Sir Mo’s behaviour after “considering his status and the good people of England”.
He changed his mind, however, after Sir Mo had made the dispute public.
“But doing all this and other things to accommodate him in a most possible best way, the return from him was, receiving a short message, which looks like an act of blackmailing and accusation,” Gebrselassie said.
Acc ding to NBC Sports, a spokesman for Sir Mo claimed Gebrselassie’s allegations were an attempt to distance the Ethiopian and his hotel from the incident.
“Mo is disappointed with this statement and the continued reluctance by the hotel and its owner to take responsibility,” the spokesperson told NBC Sports.
“Mo disputes all of these claims which are an effort to distract from the situation, where members of his hotel staff used a room key and stole money and items from Mo Farah’s room (there was no safe as it was faulty and Mo requested a new one).
“Police reports confirm the incident and the hotel admitted responsibility and were in contact with Mo’s legal advisor.
“The hotel even offered to pay Mo the amount stolen, only to withdraw the offer when he prematurely left the hotel and moved to other accommodation due to security concerns.
“Despite many attempts to discuss this issue privately with Mr Gebrselassie, he did not respond but now that he has, we would welcome him or his legal team getting in touch so this matter can be resolved.”
The spat has overshadowed Sir Mo’s participation in this year’s London Marathon.
He had finished third last year, ending behind Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Tola Shura Kitata.
- Inside the Games
BY DAPO SOTUMINU
Nigeria’s Francis James and Blessing Shambaz yesterday emerged winners of the 2nd Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Race to go home with the winners prize money of $1,000 in a race that was officially flagged off by the First vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Chief Solomon Ogba, and supported by Mr. Nadin Khan, the president of the World Ultra Running.
James won the men’s race finishing at 30minutes 11seconds to beat all opponents to consolidate on his victory in Abuja when he finished second best in the half marathon held in the Federal Capital Territory middle of the year.
James also emerged the Nigeria’s winner of the World class half marathon.
It will be recalled that James at his last major race in Abuja finished second place in a national half marathon race. He stressed that he used that race to prepare for the Lotus Bank Abeokuta Race and he was very happy winning the race.
He stressed that, the victory at Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10m Race has given him the confidence to do better in others races coming up in Nigeria and its an indication, that he’s very close to making history for Nigeria in subsequent marathon races. He added that, Nigerian runners will pull surprise in the others races not minding the attendance of the East Africans.
In second place for the men’s race is Gyang Raymond at a time of 30 minutes 14 seconds. Gyang got $750 for his effort. While the third place winner is Gyang David Boyi at 30 minutes 54 seconds. Boyi got a cash prize of $500.
In the women 10km race, the runners up that placed second was Daylop Patience at a time of 36minutes 98.28seconds to keep her position in last year’s edition. She got $750.
Third place winner is Agofure Charity at 37minutes 88 seconds.She got $500.
The overall 10km also saw the race by special athletes.
The route of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta Race wore a very active look this morning with the active presence of Febbs table water, a part sponsor of the event.
The volunteers on each points on the route all had Febbs Water on their hands ready to hand them over the runners. The organisers decorated all the runners that crossed the finish line with gold medals, this added to the fanfare and celebrations at the Alake Palace finish line of the race.
The Diamond League will increase its prize money to more than $9 million in 2025, the highest in the history of the series, the organisers have said.
Athletes will make a total of $18 million, with top athletes also receiving promotional fees. Male and female athletes will be paid at the same rate, the Diamond League said in a statement.
“The new total is almost a third higher than the sum paid during the pandemic-affected period of 2021-2024,” the statement said, adding that more will be invested in the athletes’ travel, transport, accommodation, medical and physio services.
Each of the 14 Diamond League meets of the 2025 regular season, scheduled to kick off in April, will award a total prize money of $500,000, with the final in August offering $2.24 million.
“The total prize money per discipline will be between $30,000 and $50,000 at the series meetings and between $60,000 and $100,000 at the final,” the statement added.
The Diamond League’s 2024 season concluded in Brussels last week, with Zurich set to host the 2025 final.
The news comes after World Athletics ended a 128-year tradition by paying Olympic champions at the Paris Games $50,000 each and as rival track events try to muscle in on the circuit long seen as the standard-bearer for professional athletics.
Retired American sprinting great Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track will offer prize money ranging from $100,000 for the winner to $10,000 for the eighth-place finisher at each of four “slams” when the league launches next year.
It will distribute a total of $12.6 million in prize money in 2025.
“In a league of our own,” Grand Slam Track wrote in a post on X, opens new tab on Wednesday, with a breakdown of their prize money.
-Reuters
A record 6,000 runners, local and international from across the African continent and Nigeria have registered for the second edition of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run slated for September 28, 2024, as the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited guns for a bronze label status for the race.
The Chief Operating Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Ebidowie Oweifie, noted that the theme of this year’s edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race titled ‘For Greatness’ out is out to commemorate the birthday anniversary of the Egba paramount ruler, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo 111, the 10km Run will flag off at Iyana Oloke at 6am and finish at The Alake Palace, Abeokuta.
Kenya’s Peter Nwaniki is the men’s race defending champion at a time of 28 minutes 14 seconds, while Shamila Kipsirir also of Kenya is the women’s defending champion.
Nigeria’s race men’s defending champion is Francis James at 31minutes 08seconds, while the women’s defending champion is Patience Daylop at 36 minutes 31 seconds.
The second edition of Abeokuta10km Race will be sponsored by Lotus Bank, FEBBS Premium Water, Fatgbems Petroleum Limited and Cash Token.
NFF Communication director unfolds 20 Points of a 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil
African football legends, Adebayor and Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Players boycott Libyan national team
-
AFCON6 days ago
Billiat’s penalty seals Zimbabwe’s 1-0 win over Namibia
-
AFCON1 week ago
Facts & Figures as AFCON 2025 qualifiers enter Matchday 3
-
AFCON1 week ago
AFCON 2025 in Morocco: Everything you need to know
-
AFCON6 days ago
Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri alleges poor treatment in Nigeria
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
CAF compels Kwasi Appiah to step down from Ghana FA
-
AFCON2 days ago
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Fastest World Cup final scorer is dead!