Athlete Gelete Burka

“I came out to let my people know about me”: Athlete Gelete Burqa

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Athlete Gelete Burqa, who appeared on the “Gemeda Show” on ETV Ofan Oromo Television, said, “I came out to let my people know about my difficult situation.” 

Athlete Gelete, who has competed in various events from the 800m to the marathon, said that her marriage was falling apart without her knowing. 

“I had a problem when I tried to invest the money I earned from running,” the athlete said. Her husband filed a lawsuit against her in 2009 after he disappeared from home for eight months and they are still in dispute. 

She said that her husband, who had been with her for nine years, accompanied her abroad for a competition in 2009 and returned home to find an empty house. 

When she started searching and reported it to the police, she said, "Why are you calling me? If you don't settle down, I will kill you." She said that she received a summons from him in 2010. 

When she appeared in court, her husband asked for their marriage to be dissolved, and she said that they were married in a religious institution and that faith does not allow marriages to be dissolved, and she said that she did not dissolve it, but that the marriage was dissolved under pressure. 

"Since he had sold my property using the power of attorney he had previously taken, I moved to seize my property after the marriage broke up, but all of them were in my name except for one house," said athlete Gelete.

The athlete, who mentioned that the only remaining house was the one where the power of attorney was withdrawn in 2008, said that she was left empty-handed after ten houses, four cars and other properties in different areas were sold to her. 

"He even sold the house that the government gave me to live in to his mother," said Gelete, who said, "The court has ordered me to share the one remaining house without returning the property I acquired before the marriage, and without dividing the property we acquired after the marriage." 

She said that he had already planned everything and that she had gone to court, but the decision was against her. 

She also mentioned that she had reported the matter to the police, saying that he had threatened her and that he had not deposited any money in his name so that his property could not be found, and that the properties that were said to have been sold were sold for much less than their value, which made the matter complicated. 

Athlete Gelete, who stated that there was no government body that was unaware of this issue, said, "Not only have I not found a solution yet, but I am in a situation where my life is in danger, I want the relevant body to reach out to me." 

"I came out to my people to reach out to me," Gelete said, "I am sitting locked up in my house, being threatened so that I will not even go out and do the sport I love; my country and people, to whom I have contributed my best, should know the situation I am in." 

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