Meseret Crowned IAAF world best of the year
Shares award with dear husband

Meseret Defar became the first Ethiopian woman to win the coveted IAAF best athlete of the year crown to add more silver ware in to her already bulging to burst war chest while the men’s honor goes to the first American male athlete since Carl Lewis, sprinter Tayson Gay.
With virtually untarnished records through out the athletics season the two world great athletes honored the crown in Monte Carlo at the presence of Prince Albert of Monaco France and IAAF president Lamine Diack. “Both have each time and again illustrated their ability to perform with the poise and conviction of seasoned veterans” remarked IAAF web site.
Athens Olympics victory followed by back to back 3000 meter indoor titles many amazed in twenty three years old Meseret’s unflinching performance. Two tantalizing victories followed by world class performance slashing eight seconds from her previous world record in 5000 meters, the athletics world believers that a queen has arrived to stay long at the highest spot. Indeed she stayed unbeaten all season long to crown the best women athlete of the year with no one to near challenge her. Praising her husband for being at her side at all times Meseret told the gala evening of world renowned personalities that she has no word to describe how happy she felt winning the accolade. Meseret dedicated her award to all women in Ethiopia who struggle for survival.
American sprinter, twenty five year old Tayson Gay, won three gold medals at Osaka world athletics championship to firmly stay in the driving vseat of the IAAF best athlete of the year table. Bursting in to the athletic s season with 9.79 and 9.76 victories Tayso  Gay won all twelve competations through out the season except one. His best performance Osaka where he relegated Jamaican defending world athlete of the season Asafa Powell to third place clocking 9.85 followed by his 200 meters  double gold four days later.” Though I did not yet break Powell’s world record I think for this year I am the fastest man in the world” Tayson Gay declared.
The two IAAF 2007 best athletes of the year each received USD 100,000 prize money for their season long displays that rocked the athletics world.
All time world great athlete Haile Gebre Selassie and world women’s marathon record holder Paula Radcliff received the Inspirational Athletes of the year award while Performer of the year award goes to Jamaican Asafa Powell and Croatian Blanca Vlasic. Carl Lewis hailed hero of the athletics world, Donald Thomas of Bahrain Newcomer of the Year and Kenyan Ruth Bisibori Nyangau Rising Star of the year. IAAF 2007 best coach award goes to Ukrainian Vitaly Petrov.
 

Great Ethiopian Run sky rockets to world popularity Tsegaye & Wude win race

Unattached twenty year old athlete Tsegaye Kebede burst out from no where to win Toyota 2007 Ethiopian Great Run seventh edition while the women’s title went to Atlanta-USA 10km champion Wude Ayalew from Electric athletics club. With guests talking about the race as world’s best 10kms event and CNN’s broadcast of the news, GER is growing fast popularity.
Boasting 30,000 plus participants, the continent’s biggest road race and Millennium event once again turned out as the most organized and well executed public event featuring a yellow river of humanity flowing down one of the capitals main avenues.
Little known Tsegaye took an early lead together with five others including one Kenyan. Since half a dozen pre race favorites took part in the race no one took Tsegaye seriously until the final three kilo meters where only four remained on course. Unknown twenty year old Sendafa born Tsegaye took every one by surprise 1500 meters from the finishing line where he geared up for his best performance to clock 29:06:50, followed by Tola Bune of Mugher Cement in 29:13:65 and Feyessa Lelisa in 29:21:82.
In the women’s event, many big time athletes were in the line up including former GER champions and others with impressive international careers. Ahaza Kiros, Genzebe Dibaba, pre race favorite Derebe Alemu, two times winner Genet Getaneh were all there no one guessed Wude Alemu would claim the top spot. Past the half distance mark Wude hit the pace strong starting at the foot of the hill that left the big leaguers behind. Staying together for two kilo meters Koreni dropped to let the duo fight for the title. At the final 500 meter Wude was alone and sure to win the race in a remarkable performance. She clocked 33:50:86 to win the millennium special Toyota 2007 Great Ethiopian Run title with Aselefech Mergia and Koreni Jelila coming second and third respectively.
The winners in both men’s and women’s received their money prize with the winners taking ETB 20,000, the runner up ETB 12000 and the second runners-up ETB 8,000 each.
Ethiopian Air Lines special award for the Ambassadors race went to Norwegian Ambassador Johannes Petros with last year champion Swedish Ambassador Rivano Telando coming second followed by former British ambassador to Ethiopia Mailes Weekstead. This is Weekstead’s amazing fifth appearance and he told reporters after the race how happy he is to be part of the millennium occasion. Portugal’s Ambassador to Ethiopia her Excellency Verri Fernandez took the women’s title. “This is the first time I took part in GER and it turned out the best day of my life.”, remarked Verri, on receiving the special award from Addis Ababa mayor Berhanu Deresa. New York city marathon race director Mary Wittenberg told reporters after her 50:24 finish that it is time the race is known all over the world. Former 5000 meter record holder Dave Moorcroft said it is an incredible experience while Scottish athletics CEO Geoff Wightman declared “it has become one of those must do events.”  

Nova Africa- Fasika signs agreement with Ethiopian athletics federation

Ethiopian sport takes a giant step forward now with a new local marketing and advertising firm unveiled Thursday at Sheraton Addis.
At a press conference held at Sheraton it was disclosed that the Nova Africa-Fasika Events Marketing PLC is responsible for marketing and selling the event to both the international and domestic sponsors.
In the presence of world renowned athletes including world marathon record holder Haile Gebre Selassie and the only Ethiopian to win two gold medals in one Olympics Miruts Yifter, Ethiopian Athletics Federation president Bisrat Tenagashaw signed a marketing agreement with the new firm
Nova Africa- Fasika Events Marketing PLC                                  
On the rise in the business sector, living legend Haile G/Selassie at the company’s helm Nova Africa_Fasika Marketing PLC is now the official marketing and sponsorship …..of the 16th African Athletics Championship that takes place in Ethiopian for the very first time from 30th April – 4, May 2008 in  Addis Ababa.
“Just five months to go in to Africa’s biggest sports event second only to Cup Of African nation’s it is a blessing to have such a local firm to come and shoulder the huge responsibility of marketing and promoting the event” said  Demesew Belay who came from USA and by some chance happened to attend the press conference. Marketing a continent’s major event is a back breaking task yet to Haile and company it is one more challenge to tackle added Demesew.
At the agreement signing Bisrat Gashawtena president of EAF said,” Ethiopia is hosting the African athletics championship at a very important time in its history. The championship is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Africa’s millennium in Ethiopia. The successful staging of this important continental event will solidify the brotherhood that exists among Africans.”
In addition to marketing and promoting the event to both international and domestic sponsors the company also works with the CAA and its partners to ensure that the provisions of external marketing agreements are appropriately carried out.
General Manager to the company Gashaw Zergaw said that the company has a desire to make sure the championship will be the biggest ever in the history of the continent. We are proud to be part of such a big event Gashaw remarked.
Arguably the most influential man in the country, Haile Gebre Selassie urged Ethiopian people at large to join forces in order to make the event successful.” This is the best of opportunities to once again prove to the world that Addis Ababa is the capital of the African continent and the emblem of black freedom, “ Haile rallied.

Nigeria Vs South Africa for world cup qualification spot
Ethiopia in the same group with Morocco

The 2008 world cup final qualification draw brought Ethiopia in group eight with Morocco the group top seed. After the draw in one of the most expensive South African city of Durban, the two time African champion Nigeria drew in group four with South Africa hence the toughest of all twelve groups.
More than three decades with out any football representation at international level, Ethiopia is once again a registered spectator hardly to qualify from the group that brought together Morocco, Rwanda and Mauritania. The clear favorite to win the group is Morocco while Ethiopia and Rwanda may battle for second place.
A record five time at world cup final Cameroon leads group two with Cape Verdi, Tanzania and Mauritius coming together. There appear no one to stop the indomitable lions from the group top spot.
A slight edge to Guinea's group three is one of the toughest groups with Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya the other members. Angola, Benin, Uganda and Niger are the group four contenders with Angola the hottest favorite to win the top spot.
Three time African champion Nigeria is to a head on clash against under Brazilian managed South Africa. Though South Africa qualifies as host nation since this qualification campaign also serves as nations cup final qualification winning the group has a two way purpose. Sierra-Leone and Equatorial Guinea are the remaining group members. Germany world cup final participant Ghana leads group five with Libya, Gabon and Lesotho. Ghana for sure is the hottest favorite to her second world cup appearance. In group six Senegal, 1990 African champion Algeria, Liberia are to a serious battle to win the top spot. Senegal seems to have the edge to go through. The 1992 African champion Ivory Coast is the strongest side to dominate the group which comprises of Mozambique, Botswana and Madagascar. 2004 African champion Tunisia clashes with Burkina Faso, Burundi and Seychelles. Tunisia seems to have the upper hand for the remaining minnows have never made it to the higher stages. Mali Congo Chad and in group ten with Mali led by Spain based striker Fredi Cannoute favorites to come out group winners. Adebayor spear heading Togo is in group eleven together with Zambia, Eritrea and Swaziland.
Defending African champion Egypt and Democratic Congo are group twelve heavy weights where Malawi and Djibouti are thrown in to. Though Egypt seems to have a better record, the former African champion DR Congo inspired by premier league based Lumanwa Lua Lua is not an easy adversary to give away the top spot with out a fight. The group winners and four best runner-ups are to make the knock out stage out of which the final four nations to represent Africa at 2008 South Africa world cup final.

Sport commentry

Is football almighty FIFA watching in silence?

World soccer governing body FIFA is a sovereign entity no one government dares to challenge its authority. Though the entity is popular for running its business swiftly and smoothly that is flexible, tolerant, reasonable, working always for a win- win solution, when the going gets tough you are simply to listen while FIFA speaks. I some times think it is stronger than the UN Security Council.
If FIFA is world soccer’s governing body its president Sepp Blatter is the patriarch with the ultimate voice. Once Blatter speaks about a matter it is the final verdict. So you need never to cross swords whether with the entity or the patriarch.
This very person had been to Ethiopia several times and told us he has a special place for Ethiopia when he launched his first big international task, that is, the FIFA Goal Project here in Addis. I am sure Ethiopia is lucky to have him as a regular visitor compared to other Africa nations he never set foot. In Add to this his love for his Excellency the late Yedenekachew Tessema, and the award he gave at his Zurich HQ to business tycoon Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi in appreciation of his big contribution to football, one simply presumes anything football could easily reach the patriarch’s ears.
However here we are carried on from a suspended season last year up to the beginning of the fourth month of the new season with out the sport and let alone Blatter no one from FIFA is interested to question why. Sure it is not to interfere any time a hiccup arises for any thing silly. But for a nation considered Blatter’s favorite ten months ago being with out the sport must be a big deal to call FIFA’s attention.
Two heavy weights sworn to eliminate each other, cautious government move for fear of FIFA’s muscle once again made life horrible for Ethiopian football fans. It is recalled FIFA over ruled former deputy minister for sport and youth Ato Melaku Petros to reinstate the now incumbent EFF president Dr Asheber W/Giorgis.
FIFA is investigating the stadium crush in world soccer super power Brazil that claimed nine lives last week. Football is a sport of the spectators goes the saying that is, the fans comes first. But is there any one who cares about Ethiopian football fans? Is one supposed to be a world soccer power in order to get FIFA’s due attention?
So far no light is to be seen at the end of the tunnel, Ethiopian football needs someone as heavy as FIFA to ask the Ethiopian Football Federation to ask what is happening around the sport. Maybe sending a higher official ideally the same person who came last time to monitor the national general assembly election three years back could help FIFA to get full picture on how miserable a situation Ethiopian football believers are in. This may look like a nation calling the UN to reach out for a national disaster. The difference is FIFA’s moves are ten fold as fast and swift. We pray to football almighty FIFA to deliver us from a nation with no football.