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Molinari crowned Millennium championship title
Gabresi steals limelight

Popular motor sport personality Ernesto Molinari took the Millennium Ethiopian Motor Association championship title after a tremendous victory in the closing event “Hawassa City Circuit” held in the Southern region’s capital.
Ever humble, Mollinari won both his category and best of best races in Hawassa to add further points to his already bulging collection in the seasons over all championship title. Winner of his category in all the Millennium city circuit events through out the season that are twice each in Addis Ababa and Hawassa and one in Baher Dar, Mollinari stood first in over all count to be crowned the Ethiopian Millennium champion. Running an average of 170kms per hour through out the 15 laps race Mollinari ended an idol for the more than 350000 fans who received him in with thundering applause at the finish line. Considering the award ceremony was accompanied by a luncheon at the newly built Tadesse Enjory Hotel (full cost covered by the hotel’s managing director Gebriel Tadesse) it was the best of all times, courtesy of Ethiopian Air Lines, Moha Soft Drinks, MOENCO, NMC and Garad. It was a hey day for Ernesto Mollinari who collected two trophies for the category and championship, a Washington DC round trip ticket and a 21 inch color TV from Garad.
In the below 1000 cc category where seven cars took part Anteneh Belachew was first followed by Stefano Valeri and Cardini Alberto. Although it was a strong show down among the racers Anteneh managed to dominate the event from the very start to finish.
Luca Missalidis defending champion of the 1000-1300cc category missed the chance to retain his title in Hawassa. Luca surrendered his title to Sanges Roberto who arrived from Djibouti for the event. One slight mistake and it was Sanges all the way to the finishing line. Second came the one and only woman racer Julia Pezzani. Tall, heavy and an expert in handling her Auto bianchi Julia ended an instant public hero receiving applaues at every turn. Missalidis finished third.
The event’s best race was among four runners of the 1601-2000cc appearance of Roberto Gabresi, the most valuable personality of Motor Sport, the elder of the Gula brothers, Umberto Gula would have been the days high light. However Gabresi’s performance with his Subaru Impreza 2000cc Turbo charger alighted the day as if it was an event accompanied by fighter jet formation. The crowd chanted his name at every turn he in turn flying like a bullet. Umberto Gula won the category while George Paulo coming second followed by Sergio Olivero.
In the best of best race Ernesto Molinari won the day with Luca Missalidis coming second and Umberto Gula third. The Millennium race over all runner-ups Luca received a round trip free ticket to Rome plus a 15 inch TV set while Umberto to visit Dubai and the same size TV set. The surprise event sponsor Garad gave away three TV sets and a number of mobile phones for the winners, for best sports man ship (Abebe Getachew) and die hard sports man Yafet Michael and best new comer Goytom Alemayehu. Southern Region youth and sport office head Zerihun Zewde and former association president Abraham Aregawi were guests of honor for the occasion and presented awards to the winners.

Dire Dawa win promotion to premier league
Big names on loan end in shame

After five long seasons without a representative in the Ethiopian premier league, one of the nation’s popular towns, Dire Dawa is now a full fledged member of the soccer higher echelon, thanks to Dire Dawa Kenema FC.
Following a decisive 2-0 victory over Bishoftu Kenema FC, Dire Dawa Kenema not only clinched the promotion to the Ethiopian premier league but also won the MIDROC National League championship title for the hot favorites Sebeta Kenema Vs Dedebit ended in a goal less draw. In the most evenly contested championship in the nation’s national league history all three sides collected 60 equal points each the title and promotion decided on goal differences. Dire Dawa took the title as well as promotion having the highest goal tally, that is 36 goals followed by Sebeta Kenema with 32 goals. The two booked their place in next year is Ethiopian premier league season while hottest favorite Dedebit finished third and one more season to stay at the national league.
Since the relegation followed by the disbandment of Dire Dawa Rail Way in 2003, the town had been with no representation on Ethiopian soccer’s top ladder. Promotion to the premier league meant a lot to the once famous soccer town Dire Dawa that had been in real hunger of a hero since all time Ethiopian premier league top scores Yordanos Abay.
In the dramatic final match held here in Addis Ababa more than a dozen premier league players lining for both sides Dedebit and Sebeta Kenema ended in a goalless draw. Thanks for Ethiopian Football Federation’s clumsy transfer regulations hot favorite to promotion at the start of the season Dedebit signed nine premier league players including Electric play maker Lemi Itana and striker Medhane Tadesse from Trans Ethiopia. Sebeta Kenema on its part signed five players, the most notables Menaleshoa Bogale and Yared Getachew both from Adama Kenema FC. Anyway the lackluster match ended in a goal less draw with the heavy weights on loan un impressive. At the final whistle strong in its finance and organization Dedebit not only lost the title but failed to the while Sebeta Kenema made it to the premier league as national league runner-up. Binyam Ayele of Dire Dawa Kenema stood top scorer of the season with 13 goals while Captain Hailu Gezaw of Dire Dawa Kenema took best coach of the season award. Tadelle Mengesha of Arbaminch Dashen Brewery was awarded best player of the tournament.

Ethiopia Coffee, Electric & Insurance crowned champions

Ethiopian Coffee has won the Addis Ababa the first division women’s soccer championship title When the two rounds seven club annual soccer championship came to an end 2008 strongest football club in the country, Ethiopian Coffee, were crowned the title with out a struggle defeat throughout the season. Collecting 34 points out of a possible 36, that is only a single draw in 12 matches. On the season’s final clash against MOHA Teklehaimanot Pepsi which finished as runner-up with 29 points. Although MOHA were determined to crush the champions dream it appeared to come true when they took the lead Paulos until Getachew’s iron willed squad fought back to settle for a draw. Central Medical College FC finished second runner-up while Addis Ababa Eagles grabbed fourth.
Ethiopian Coffee head coach, Paulos Getachew, popularly known as Mango was voted coach of the year while Shetaye Gemechu took the top scorer’s award with 16 goals. Rehima Zergaw of Teklehaimanot finished second best scorer with 15 goals. In other news, famed for its Youth policy, Electric took the Addis Ababa Youth annual soccer championship title and finished second runner-up in the junior’s competition. The one and only club truly serious about young talent and producing the highest number of these in the past two decades has been Electric. Though keeping on to young talent is a chronic problem at the club it is still admired for its unflinching dedication to carry on with its youth policy. “Just tell me of a premier league club with no players from Electric” said Kefyalew a long time supporter of Electric.
“I am very proud of the club’s dedication to its youth policy despite its failure to keep them for long after they mature. Anyway the end is the same since they all belong to the Ethiopian national team,” remarked an official from Ethiopian Football Federation.
Once the most famous side of the Ethiopian Premier League Insurance FC appears to discover the very right way of building a strong side through its youth policy. Winning the title meant a new day for the club that had been long stranded in signing big time players for big money yet struggling at bottom of the league table. In addition to producing young talents the club saves its big annual transfer budget that usually ends in unknown pockets for lack of transparency.

Awasa Kenema takes part in CECAFA club championship

Last year’s Ethiopian premier league champion Awasa Kenema takes part in the 2008 east and central African clubs championship to be held in Tanzanian capital Daresalam.
This time around jointly sponsored by Rwandan president Paul Kagme and Tanzanian president, Kagme and CECAFA club championship brings together 12 clubs from 10 nations with two each from the host nation Tanzania and Rwanda . Suspended Ethiopian premier league champion Awasa Kenema are drawn in group three, the tournament’s death group among popular Tanzanian side, Young Africa and Rwanda’s strongest side APR, an army club said to be president Paul Kagme’s favorite and Mbene of Zanzibar. The second time in CECAFA club’s championship, Awasa Kenema that finished third in the premier league is expected to return home with some pride. National team skipper Mulugeta Mehretu needs to inspire the side to help achieve what many other clubs of the country failed to score.
Group one comprises Simba of the host nation Tanzania , Tusker of Kenya Vitalo of Burundi and Somalian TeleCom sides with Simba Vs Tusker clash the biggest in the group. The two are expected to go through the knock out stage.
Group two is a relatively easy one bringing together Ryon of Rwanda, URA of Uganda, DenDen of Eritrea and SID of Djibouti. Rwandan Ryon is hot favorite to win the group with Ugandan side to finish second. Though CECAFA club championship is the poorest zonal tournament with USWD 6000 for the champion team (this time it is more for the Tanzanian presidents joint sponsorship) Ethiopian clubs, let alone a title none has reached to semi final stage. This time the only absence from East and Central African nations is a club from the zone’s rising soccer power Sudan.
The new season not yet to start until three months and few players lately released from national team duty Awasa Kenema could make history in foreign soil at least progressing up to the semi final stage. The only regional clubs to claim the Ethiopian premier league championship titles (twice) Awasa Kenema is once again faced a fate that could help the side take a frog leap into history.

Sule claims her first ever gold in Poland
Deresse and Maregu set in Spain & Atlanta

Ethiopia has taken inspiring IAAF World Juniors Athletics Championship first track gold and silver medals through Sule Utara and Genzebe Dibaba respectively.
At the on going 12th IAAF World Youth Athletics Championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland a slim figure on long legs, Sule Utara, appeared a special breed of distance runner even by Ethiopian standards. The eighteen years old who burst onto the international athletics arena when she claimed bronze in last year’s 3000 meter at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava has, developed in to a gold medal athlete in so short time her latest 5000 meter victory is her first ever international title. Following Sule came the third generation of the Dibaba family youngest of the three greats, Genzebe Dibaba.
Also in the news is rising star at international athletics meets is Ethiopian 1500 meter athlete Derese Mekonen. He won in Spain while compatriot Maregu Bezabeh also took the gold medal on the 10kms road race in Atlanta- USA .
Derese who finished first in Milan- Italy a week a go in 3:34:02 made an astonishing dashing finish in Madrid, Spain slashing 0.1 seconds. Out of the medal table at the 16th African Athletics Championship here in Addis Ababa, Derese covered the 1500 meter distance in 3:33:99 followed by Kenyan Chirchir. Third came Ethiopian Mulugeta Wondemu in 3:36:74. Another Ethiopian, Mekonen Gebre Medin finished fifth.
In other athletics news Maregu Bezabeh won in Atlanta- USA despite the presence of two popular Kenyan athletes who had been pre race hot favorites. Peter Kamayus and Daniel Kip Okoch took the lead turn by turn to exhaust Maregu out of the title race. However Maregu stayed behind the two until the final few hundred meters then burst in to a finish to close the line in 28:30 while Peter came second in 28:30 followed by Daniel four seconds later. “Before the race I was sure the two Kenyans would to dominate the race for their experience. But when the gun went off and few kms later, I found out they were not as strong as I had expected,” Maregu stated to reporters after the victory.
In the women’s event, little known Ethiopian Ashi Kasim clocked 32:36 to finish second following equally unknown Ukrainian Natalia Berkut who took the gold in the most surprising finish, covering the distance in less than 32 minutes.

UEFA and SuperSport renew relationship

In keeping with a commitment to bring subscribers the best live sport available, SuperSport has signed a deal for the exclusive pay TV rights in Sub-Saharan Africa for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup from 2009-2012.
The three-year deal means the action from both competitions will be broadcast on SuperSport 3, 5, 6 and 7 on DStv, with as many as four UEFA Champions League matches broadcast live on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays and UEFA Cup matches on Thursdays. The agreement includes the semifinals and finals of both competitions.
SuperSport has the rights to broadcast 146 live UEFA Champions League matches and 205 UEFA Cup matches, which includes the UEFA Super Cup. In addition to the an all English Champions league final clash between Manchester United and Chelsea, fans across the continent witnessed the action on SuperSport and the latest agreement means football fans will be treated to the best of European club action until 2012.
The UEFA Champions League was closely followed by UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland and SuperSport covered live every one of the matches in the competition to crown the kings of Europe that is Spain.

Molinari crowned Millennium championship title Gabresi steals limelight