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Tirunesh Dibaba is back into winning form
Meseret clocked the fastest time

With Olympic and world gold medalist Tirunesh Dibaba back in winning form after months rest for serious muscle strain, the reigning IAAF world best woman athlete of the season Meseret Defar added a jewel to her crown.
After a long absence from the international athletics arena since her world champion mesmerizing gold medal performance, Tirunesh Dibaba kicks-off her new athletics season campaign in America-Boston winning the 3000 meter indoor athletics meeting. Although her wish to set new world fastest time failed, she managed a convincing win in 8:33:38. For the former world cross country double champion the recurring injury worried her much more than her winning the gold medal. “The muscle strain is painful & frustrating; I don’t know what to do about it. I have seen many doctors but I am yet to find a lasting solution”, said Trunesh in disappointment. Ejegayehu Dibaba, the oldest of the three Dibabas, finished second to claim the silver.
In the mean time 23 year old Meseret Defar, the first African to be crowned IAAF world woman best athlete of the season, resumed her specialty - breaking records - setting a new world fastest time in two miles race.
Seven world records in her belt, Meseret’s performance would have been in the record book had the event been IAAF’s annual regular event. Nevertheless the Osaka world championship gold medalist Meseret clocked 9:10:50 which is an amazing more than twelve seconds faster than the 9:23:38 for the previous season. “I am very happy I won. However, I was not at my best form” remarked Meseret after her astonishing victory. Meseret’s strong contender in last year’s 3000 meter event, Tim Smith of New Zealand finished second clocking 9:13:94. Smith stayed close to Meseret until the final lap where the Ethiopian geared up her pace too strong for her contender to catch up with. “I am disappointed for Meseret’s presence denied me setting the world fastest time” said Tim Smith while collecting her silver medal.
   

A big league for Ethiopian soccer

A new soccer league season comprising 27 sides kicks-off today at Addis Ababa stadium.
Following the National Football Federation national assembly’s over throwing off former EFF president Dr Asheber, the newly elected executive body announced that a new league including both the runaway teams and those that have been competing this season has been launched. All are now under one big umbrella that brings together twenty seven clubs and ready for a one round league season fixture that takes from eight to ten weeks.
EFF vice president Ato Teka Asfaw stated that it took a lengthy discussion with concerned clubs to reach to the ground breaking agreement which culminated in a win- win situation for all partners.
According to the new format the already nine fixtures old 14 clubs tournament resumes as of today adding the thirteen run away clubs to the total of twenty seven. Those already in action are to play seventeen matches each while the run away clubs play twenty six matches apiece. At the end of the tournament the first fourteen clubs plus two others promoted from the national league form a sixteen clubs’ 2001 Ethiopian premier league season. The remaining thirteen clubs go down to join the national league for the new season.
In other development, the newly appointed EFF executive body introduced a revised gate ticket fee for the season. Accordingly, the tribune ticket went down to thirty birr; that is twenty birr less than the previous fee. First class ticket costs 15, the wings 5, Katanga 3 and 2 birr for seats behind the goal posts.
Although in the news is the presence of EFF Vice President Solomon Alemseged and Treasurer Commander Seyoum Gofe at the CAF general assembly in Ghana- Accra. Having a stay with FIFA president Sepp Blatter, CAF president Essa Hayatou, and secretary Mustafa Fahmi, the two officials discussed on matters concerning  the current Ethiopian football situation and what the confederation could do to help reinstate Ethiopian football to its previous position. At the end of the discussion Blatter and Hayatou stated their sorrow on not having one of the continent’s soccer founding members, Ethiopia, and promised to send a situation assessment mission in few days.

Samuel Eto’o joins
African greats fame hall

A score sheet opener from the spot kick followed by an injury time goal, the Indomitable Lions striker Samuel Eto’o booked a place in the continent’s football history book as all time top scorer of African cup of nations with 16 goals. The twenty six years old former FIFA world best player of the year second runner up Eto’s brace over Sudan on the final group match on Wednesday made him the continent’s all time top scorers breaking the 38 years old record held by Ivory Coast goal poacher Laurent Pokku.
Though the record stayed nearly four decades Pokku’s 14 goals record achieved in just two nation’s cup finals in 1968 and 1970. Comparing to Eto’s goal tally, he made it in five cup finals that started in 2000 African nation’s cup final. Laurent Pokku scored his record 14 goals tally over two East African nations. He opened his account in 1968 scoring two hat tricks over Ethiopia followed by another eight over Sudan in 1970. Eto opened his account in 2000 with a hat trick over Ivory Coast had a slow count that took him ten years. Considering that Eto is still busy doing business in the on going nation cup final and that at least he most likely play two more cup finals until the age of thirty Eto might hung the record too far to  reach for others. European champions league gold medal, two Spanish league titles, two African cups of nation’s crowns and Olympic gold the Barcelona striker Samuel Eto is the one of the luckiest footballers on the planet.

Ghana Vs Nigeria, Ivory Coast Vs Guinea today
Egypt plays Angola while Cameroon clashes against Tunisia

Three wins out of three, not yet conceded a goal and getting real momentum in the tournament the host Ghana is to get tasted with fire today facing the event’s biggest disappointment so far, Nigeria. The Super Eagles, have not yet found their only on paper frightening fire power despite having eight European based strikers under former European champion German head coach Berti Vogts. Ghana, inspired by warrior Michael Essein, is now fully matured to become one of the three hot favorites for the title. Essein confronts his team mate at Chelsea Michael Obe. Ghana appears the hot favorites to go through to the semi final stage.
Also today the most impressive side so far, Ivory Coast clashes against Guinea that finished runner up of group one. More of a physical side, Guinea needs also a prayer to survive the Elephants who are now the hottest favorites to claim the title for the second time. Spearheaded by exemplary team skipper Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast won all their group matches featuring superior performance.
Defending champions Egypt, in perfect course for the record sixth time championship title, meet first timer in the nation’s cup quarter final Angola tomorrow. The Manchester United based young striker Manucho so deadly in the penalty box, Egypt the wonder of the tournament so far may get threatened. Demolishing the Indomitable Lions 4-2, the Pharaohs showed how strong and determined their side is. The clash between new comers Angola and veterans Egypt is highly expected by both nations’ supporters. History is at stake for both sides.The four time champions Cameroon learned a lesson from the opening match that the North African representatives meant serious business.
Tunisia, having one of the tournaments strong defenses, will work on stopping Samuel Eto’o and his company and see what they can do at the counter attack. Some say team skipper Rigobert Song is a bit too old for the tournament. Could Tunisia exploit this weakness and make it through to the semi final? Many bet for the Indomitable Lions to join the semi finalists.

Why won’t they speak to us?

By Farayi M - BBC World Service

Why do most teams at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana feel the need to treat journalists as an irritant?
I ask because being a hack at the Nations Cup in general, and Ghana 2008 in particular, is not the house of fun and games that many people think it is.
In anything, reporting on this tournament is turning into a challenge for me and my fellow journalists.
Take what happened last Friday in Kumasi , for example, when some players from Sudan were embroiled in a fracas with an Egyptian television crew.
The players – and everyone else in the Sudan camp – have stubbornly refused to talk to the media since they arrived in Ghana, much to the exasperation of the Egyptian TV.
I was, therefore, not surprised to hear that tempers boiled over and a few choice words exchanged between the parties.
At the risk of making a few enemies, I am going to name and shame the teams that have made life difficult for us here.
Nigeria and Cameroon seem to have adopted an air of superiority that causes them to treat the media almost with contempt.
For reasons best to them, the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions are refusing to talk to journalists, and all requests for interviews are rejected out of hand.
In my view, Nigeria and Cameroon should know better because they have been to the World Cup where Fifa ensures that teams treat journalists with respect by making time for them.
Very few of the 16 finalists at Ghana 2008 seem to have realised that the media is an advocate of the public, so when they treat us with disdain, they are, in a way, treating the public with disdain.
I know that those in my profession will never be greatly loved by all but even the dogs on the street know that it is unacceptable for teams to impose media blackouts.
Kudos to Ghana, Zambia, Morocco and Benin for being accessible to the media but why are the likes of Sudan and the Ivory Coast so keen to insulate themselves against journalistic scrutiny?
But perhaps more importantly, why does the Confederation of African Football (Caf) just sit by allow these teams to become a law unto themselves?
I know that Caf has rules (their communications director showed them to me) that require teams to make time for the media but what is the point of rules that no one enforces?

Afar hosts ‘Education for Girls’ run today

This morning in Semera, the capital of Afar region, Great Ethiopian Run will stage the second run in a 3-race series to promote Girls’ Education in Ethiopia. The event comprising a children’s 1km run and the main 5km race hopes to attract around 2000 participants - which would be the biggest-ever running event staged in Afar Region. This is the 36th run staged by Great Ethiopian Run in its’ seven-year history and will be the first time that Great Ethiopian Run has ventured into Afar region for staging its races.
The first run in the 2008 ‘Education for Girls’ Series was staged in Jinka in Omo Region three weeks ago and the final run is planned for Jijiga on 17th February.
Explaining the reason for choosing Afar and Jijiga as race venues, Great Ethiopian Run event coordinator Richard Nerurkar said: “as well as providing fun and enjoyment for the participants, our events can be a good platform for publicising important messages. The message of these runs endorsed by Meseret Defar and Haile Gebrselassie in films and interviews which are being played at the events is that more needs to be done to give girls in Ethiopia a good education. Two of the runs in this series are taking place in Afar and Somali regions which have the lowest school enrolment figures in Ethiopia and where girls’ enrolment is particularly poor.” According to recent statistics, there are two girls for every three boys who receive a secondary education in Ethiopia, and in Afar and Somali regions it is one girl for every two boys.
The publicity slogan for the race series is “Imarallehu” (I will learn) and is being advertised on race T-shirts and finishers’ certificates, on participants’ fliers and on race banners. Special prizes are also being offered to girl participants to give them encouragement to continue their education.