Haile Gebrselassie Defends Jail Term For Doping, Clamours For Stiffer Punishment

Haile Gebrselassie Defends Jail Term For Doping, Clamours For Stiffer Punishment

By Niyi Busari

President, Ethiopia Athletics Federation, Haile Gebrselassie has clamoured for stiffer punishment that is far worse than jail terms for athletes who engaged in doping, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

As the president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, his administration had zero tolerance for doping. In 2017, Ethiopia approved a prison sentence given for drug cheats in athletics.

Gebrselassie who was a guest at the AIPS e-College on Tuesday, May 5, added that the main reason he is clamouring for stiffer punishment is to see clean athletes winning laurels.

“We are not asking the whole world to have the same system as what we did here, in Ethiopia. I am not saying it’s right or wrong. Everyone has their opinion. Every country has their system.

"Of course, internationally we have very good punishments and sanctions – life ban or four or two year bans. But when it comes to Ethiopia, why not to have stronger punishments to make them understand,” says Gebrselassie, who believes being put in prison could help wrongdoers change."

In his opinion, the biggest punishment of an athlete can be public hatred. That is even worse than going to jail or getting a competition ban, he says. “If he is very known, it is very bad. If someone, World Athletics or WADA would say that Haile, you did doping, I’ll die. How could I show my face in front of the people of Ethiopia?

"You can’t imagine what happens here in Ethiopia. As an athlete, as Haile Gebreselassie, I want to see clean athletes! And doping is not the only thing people are trying to use to their advantage, there is also technology.”