Conspiracy to Deprive Ethiopian Athletes of Results is Being Carried Out, Ethiopian Journalist Says
06:42 25.03.2026 (Updated: 07:41 25.03.2026)
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Conspiracy to Deprive Ethiopian Athletes of Results is Being Carried Out, Ethiopian Journalist Says
Ethiopian track and field athlete Tsige Duguma and three of her fellow athletes will not participate in the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
This is due to Poland's refusal to issue them visas, which Bogale Abebe, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Addis Zemen newspaper, described to Sputnik Africa as a deliberate attempt to undermine Ethiopia's sporting dominance by depriving these athletes of the opportunity to compete.
“I am now coming to understand that a certain conspiracy to deprive athletes of results is being carried out… Athletes from developing countries like Ethiopia are losing their visas in the visa process due to various issues with political implications and are therefore unable to seize their opportunities,” he said.
While explaining that the ban constitutes a major loss both for Ethiopia and for the athletes themselves, the journalist stated: “The athletes who remained behind because they could not obtain visas are victims.
This deprives them of the chance to prove themselves on the international stage and of the opportunity to be invited tomorrow to the Olympics and various individual competitions. When viewed from the country’s perspective, the number of medals we are losing is very high.”
“After 25 years, this has caused Ethiopia to return from the World Indoor Championships—by which it had been known—without winning any medals at all. This is a major crisis in terms of results; it means a quarter-century of history has been ruined.”
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Sputnik Africa | X
Ethiopian track and field athlete Tsige Duguma and three of her fellow athletes will not participate in the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
This is due to Poland's refusal to issue them visas, which Bogale Abebe, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Addis Zemen newspaper, described to Sputnik Africa as a deliberate attempt to undermine Ethiopia's sporting dominance by depriving these athletes of the opportunity to compete.
“I am now coming to understand that a certain conspiracy to deprive athletes of results is being carried out… Athletes from developing countries like Ethiopia are losing their visas in the visa process due to various issues with political implications and are therefore unable to seize their opportunities,” he said.
While explaining that the ban constitutes a major loss both for Ethiopia and for the athletes themselves, the journalist stated: “The athletes who remained behind because they could not obtain visas are victims.
This deprives them of the chance to prove themselves on the international stage and of the opportunity to be invited tomorrow to the Olympics and various individual competitions. When viewed from the country’s perspective, the number of medals we are losing is very high.”
“After 25 years, this has caused Ethiopia to return from the World Indoor Championships—by which it had been known—without winning any medals at all. This is a major crisis in terms of results; it means a quarter-century of history has been ruined.”
Subscribe to @sputnik_africa
Sputnik Africa | X
