Feyisa Lilesa comes from the Oromo ethnic group
ADDIS ABABA, April 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lelisa has finally accepted the $17,000 prize money offered to him by the government for winning a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Feyisa refused to return to Ethiopia to accept the money from then-Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s government, saying he feared for his life. He went from Brazil to the US, where he was given asylum.
He became famous for crossing the line in Rio with his arms raised – a symbol to protest the brutal police crackdown on Ethiopia’s Oromo people.
Feyisa accepted the cash prize at a function in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday, shaking hands, smiling broadly and posing for photographs with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopia’s first female president.
In an interview, Feyisa said: ‘‘We went on the stage together to celebrate the achievement.
“I’m very happy not because of the prize money. I’m happy because I’m witnessing my struggle’s being fruitful in the country.’’
Abiy introduced sweeping reforms since he took office in April 2018.
Feyisa returned to Ethiopia about six months later. He has not participated in international competitions since then, saying he was ill and was finding it difficult to acclimatise. — NNN-AGENCIES
