Ethiopia’s legendary distance runner, Haile Gebreselassie, has recently declared that he intends to contest the 2015 national election as an independent candidate.
Now 40 and still occasionally running competitively, despite announcing his retirement in 2010, Gebreselassie told Associated Press that he wants to “reach more people through politics.” He added: “The big mistake would be to stay out of politics and miss the chance to do something to help. We are here in our country, Ethiopia; and as long as we live here, we should play our part. We have to sort (out) any problems we have.”
The four-time World Champion and two-time Olympic champion over 10,000 metres also stressed in an interview with the China Central Television (CCTV), that he specifically wants to be a president of Ethiopia.
