Injured Asbel Kiprop in fresh controversy amid claims of assault
Former Olympic and three-time World champion, Asbel Kiprop has stirred fresh controversy after sharing photos online showing visible facial and scalp injuries.
In a post on his Facebook account, the 1,500m athlete hinted that he had been subjected to some sort of violence, although he fell short of disclosing the fine details of the matter.
“Violence in every tussle will solve nothing. Great battles are won without fighting. Nature is the master and so we are,” he captioned the photo.
Kiprop has since deleted the post and instead made fresh claims that his injuries are as a result of a motorbike accident.
“Always be on helmet when riding on a bike no matter the locality or distance,” his latest post on Facebook reads.
However, media reports indicate that Kiprop was assaulted at an entertainment joint, although the circumstance surrounding the incident remain scanty.
The incident comes just three months after his four-year doping ban elapsed. Kiprop, 32, who was suspended in April 2019 for taking the blood-boosting drug EPO, had promised to make a successful return to the track.
Kiprop is no stranger to controversy off the track though. While serving his lengthy ban, he once filmed himself kissing and fondling his manager’s wife reportedly as a way of earning his revenge.
The incident strained his relationship with wife, leading to their separation. In an interview, Kiprop said his wife of six years walked out of their matrimonial home in Eldoret after the video of his escapades with his lover went viral.
He would later publicly apologize to his estranged wife after confessing on cheating on her for two years.
Then in April 2019, Kiprop threatened IAAF (now the World Athletics) and his employer, the National Police Service, with dire consequences for playing a part in his tribulations.
“I pray to National Police Service to dismiss me now before I use their machinery (sic) to earn myself justice. Kindly. IAAF come take your medals,” he wrote in widely shared online post.
In another bizarre incident, while still serving his ban, Kiprop uploaded a video of himself driving recklessly. He justified his actions by saying he was switching from athletics to motorsport. He would later say he was sliding into depression.