ADDIS ABABA –The Ethiopian Athletics Federation, EAF, Acting President Derartu Tulu, openly and aggressively expressed her anger at what the Ethiopian Olympic Committee, EOC, did against the EAF and herself.
The EOC had a two-day congress on Saturday and Sunday at Debrebirhan, some 110 kilo meters on the road to Dessie, the capital of Wollo. Athletics Federation is one of the key partners of the EOC. Derartu is the chief of this partner. In addition to this Derartu is a member of the Executive Committee of the Ethiopian Olympic Committee.
To the surprise of many, Derartu and the federation were not invited to attend the EOC meeting at Debrebirhan, according to her report to the congress shown on the footage of ETV sport. . But the two times Olympic gold medalist Derartu travelled to Debrebirhan to attend the congress without the invitation. That was indeed an embarrassment to the congress organizing body and to the leadership of the EOC at large, insiders commented.
The President of the EOC Dr. AshebirWoldegiorgis was apologetic when Derartu expressed her feelings with passion and genuine emotion, according to the participants.
She asked the organizing committee why the federation was left uninvited. Why the member of executive Committee was dropped from the list of invitation? She also rose a very interesting point. She displayedthat her photo was cut off from magazine of the Olympic committee for this she doesn’t know. She said she was amused by this action. The TV journalist was quick to pick that drama up to show his audience. That was why many people saw her grievance on TV footage.
Her passionate speech at the opening day deliberation clearly changed the atmosphere of the congress. When the national heroine was openly pushed out from the place that she thoroughly deserves, that was an excellent moment to expose the perpetrators in an open and clear manner, one TV commentator said. He added, it is good to say spade is a spade.
What happened to the EOC leadership? Ethiopia gets medal in the Olympics and other international arena in athletics. Derartu Tulu is a living evidence for that. She was the first Ethiopian female athlete to get gold in Olympics for the first time for herself, Ethiopia and Africa in i992 Barcelona Olympics in 10, 000 meters.
She added her second gold in Sydney in 2000 setting a new record. Having victories in world championship time and again she is a pioneer for the Ethiopian female athletes such as Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar. This confirms that she was an iron lady on the track and now she has begun showing her bravery and special capacity in the complex administrative sector.
What is the secret behind this? The public needs the clear picture.
The Ethiopian Herald August 13, 2019
BY SOLOMON BEKELE
