The shortage of foreign money has come to a halt. Reward for Olympic hero

Solomon Barega, Ethiopia's Olympic gold medalist, claims he has yet to get a car promised by officials after winning the country's only gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Solomon won the 10,000m event in 27 minutes 43.22 seconds, defeating world champion and world record holder Joshua Cheptegei.

Mesfin Cherinet, a state minister in the ministry of sports, told the BBC that the promised car was not delivered due to a lack of foreign funds.

In August, the gold medalist was photographed receiving a car key from Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde.

"The car at the event was the promised one, not the one he was to be given," the minister stated.

The north's civil conflict has wreaked havoc on the country's economy, putting hundreds of thousands of people on the verge of hunger.

Solomon acknowledged the government's and bureaucracy's challenges in obtaining the vehicle.

"The procedure is lengthy. Former athletes had to deal with the same issues. I did not make a complaint, even though mine was a little late," he explained.

The authorities have agreed to pay him the local currency equivalent of the car's purchase, which is around 2.8 million Ethiopian birrs ($54,000; £42,000).

They also promised to assist him in importing the vehicle without having to pay customs duties.