4 Ethiopian Track Team Members Missing from World Juniors

I wonder if one of them is Teferi.

What a joke, there is no political "upheaval" in Ethiopia that threatens it's citizens in any way. These are just more runners looking to cash in on another Euro or American club like Aregawi did.

Wonder what ethnic group the members are from? They have a stronger asylum case if they are Ooromo.

I am by no means an expert but I thought a claim of asylum had to include a threat that was specific to the individual...not so generic as just being from an ethnic group that was being attacked?

It is possible they just eloped intending to stay in the US. It is quite difficult ordinarily for Ethiopians to get a Visa to visit the U.S. and I have known several that have eloped or overstayed their visa.

They are on a bender since the drinking age here is only 21.

Eritreans are notorious for defecting

Ethios and Kenyans are gonna start doing the Aregawi thing and breaking for the track club money and "naturalization" at the country that coincidentally hosts that track club.

They get paid and they get an easier path to Olympics and WC without having to worry about placing top 3 in their birth home nationals.

You're already seeing it with Aregawi and Hassan. Soon you will get to see plenty of thrilling races between Kenyans and Ethiopians and Kenyan and Ethiopian ringers.

Who has this track club money?

Kenyans will not defect in huge numbers, don't bet on it. There will be a few Kenyans who get lured by money but it will not affect the quality and quantity of the runners.

They have their own money and/or sponsors. What do you think? Aregawi was lured by that Swedish club she runs for when she was 18 or 19. They gave her a deal she couldn't refuse. A fat contract and then staged a fake marriage and she became a Swede citizen.

I'm not mad at Aregawi for taking the money, I'm a big fan of hers. She's a great athlete, but that's the nature of it.

This Hassan girl is another one, but Holland instead of Sweden, but her ruse was political "upheaval" that doesn't even exist. I guess The Dutch didn't want to recycle the marriage scam.

All four are welcome to come run for my HS.

I wouldn't be surprised if their federations were behind it too. They gotta get more medals.

Loot wrote:

You're already seeing it with Aregawi and Hassan. Soon you will get to see plenty of thrilling races between Kenyans and Ethiopians and Kenyan and Ethiopian ringers.

Hassan didn't run a step until after she had already arrived in Holland. She didn't move there for athletic purposes.

Deep-fried Quadriceps wrote:

I wonder if one of them is Teferi.

I wonder what the competition rules are for someone who's granted asylum. Can they compete for the country that's granted asylum? Can they apply for asylum and/or citizenship in any other country?

Augusto E. Perez wrote:

Loot wrote:

You're already seeing it with Aregawi and Hassan. Soon you will get to see plenty of thrilling races between Kenyans and Ethiopians and Kenyan and Ethiopian ringers.

Hassan didn't run a step until after she had already arrived in Holland. She didn't move there for athletic purposes.

Hassan ran many steps as a highly touted junior prospect and was discovered by a Dutch track club and recruited to run for them solely for athletic purposes.

Maybe they were part of the contingent who competed at the Eugene Marathon, or an agent took them away and is about to race them for $$$. All they care about is being here and making money and claiming they're here on "asylum". What a bunch of crap.

Oregon Track/XC will be releasing their incoming class for 2014-15 on Monday. Expect some Ethiopian transfers to be on the list.

Runthemhillsboy wrote:

Kenyans will not defect in huge numbers, don't bet on it. There will be a few Kenyans who get lured by money but it will not affect the quality and quantity of the runners.

Agreed. Kenyans won't do this. Of course there will be a few like the girl who won the steeple for Bahrain but she was scouted early from her boarding school and promised a stipend FOR LIFE. Still not the same as these athletes who go for sports events in Western countries with the sole intent of defecting for an alleged "better life".

One time, an entire youth football team from either Ethiopia or Eritrea (I forget which), all defected after a youth tournament in Sweden. They even do it with regional sports competitions i Kenya, refuse to return home, then use Nairobi as a springboard to get to Europe or America.

I remember.

I think it was Eritrea and it was about four years ago.

Politburo wrote:

They are on a bender since the drinking age here is only 21.

I got a chuckle out of this.