World U18 and U20 champion Solomon Barega and ZeynebaYimer won close contests at the 2017 TOTAL Great Ethiopian Run 10km road race.
It has been a stellar 2017 for Barega who stormed to an impressive 3000m title at the World U18 Championships in Nairobi in July and followed it up with an impressive fifth place finish over 5000m at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London a month later.
Solomon Barega who looked relaxed behind the pacesetters in the large group, suddenly took the lead at the halfway point with Moges following him closely. The chase pack failed to cover the sudden move as the duo opened up a two-way battle for the finish.
Moges tried the first breakaway attempt at the seven-kilometer mark, but Solomon fought him off en route to his victory in 28:36. Moges followed him across the line two seconds later with DawitFekadu winning the battle of the leading pack chasers for third.
Defending champion FotenTesfaye was the favorite in women’s race, but victory in this contest went to ZeynebaYimer, the world U20 cross country bronze medalist. As predicted, Tesfaye made her penultimate move in the waning stages with Yimer the lone challenger remaining to the finish. She piled on the pace trying to shake off Yimer to avoid a race to the line, but it was Yimer who stayed with her for about a kilometre before taking the lead. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia runner roared on to victory in 32:30, but Tesfaye failed to maintain the runner up position, eventually overtaken by GirmawitGebrezer.
A record 44,000 participants started the race in the Ethiopian capital that saw three-time world half marathon champion LornahKiplagat, reigning Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot, and two-time Olympic 5000m champion MeseretDefar as guests of honor.
Solomon and Zeyneb Yimer win GER Gold medals
Ethiopian Women U-17 national team faces Nigeria today
Ethiopian Women U-17 national side entertains its Nigerian counterpart today at Addis Ababa in the U-17 World Cup final qualification campaign first leg showdown. Head Coach Selam Zeray told reporters that the team minus international friendly matches is well prepared for the home game. The aggregate winner books a place in 2018 World Cup final staged in the South American nation Uruguay.
Sailing through the first qualification fixtures by forfeit from Kenya, the The Ethiopian side has been preparing for the past three weeks. According to Selam the new league season’s start had been a big help for the players in order to gain match fitness therefore the dwell against the African mighty side may not be as such a big deal. “It would have been a huge bonus for the team had there been an international friendly match. However, missing the chance is also a blessing in disguise for it helped us focus on the buildup of the team,” head coach Selam told reporters. “The diehard spirit is our strongest part of the buildup therefore “Win by all means in front of home supporters” is our motto Selam added.
Despite little consideration from the Football federation and some controversy over the age limit, the players appeared in high spirit to prove themselves for home football fans. Famous for her 4-4-2 formation at Kidus Giorgis Women’s team, Salam‘s plan is to finish her job at home for the defeating the visitors on their home soil is unthinkable. “ I beg football fans to help us win this home game otherwise a return leg at a town five hours drive from Legos is a slippery high hill to mount,” one of the players suggested.
Sebeta and Medin off to good start
Things appear to be going in the right direction for Sebeta Town under newly appointed head coach Seyoum Kebede. With two wins out of two Sebeta takes the eight team group (A) driver’s seat in the Ethiopian Super League’s new season. Promotion aspiring Ethiopian Insurance popularly known as Medin is going in the right direction under newly appointed head coach Derege Belay.
Signing a number of seasoned players in the squad, the former national team, Saint George and Addis Ababa head coach Seyoum Kebede achieved two wins out of two: the season opener 1-0 away win over Yeka followed by a 2-0 convincing home win over strong side Amhara-Water-Works, Sebeta should contend to advance to the Premier League next season.
“Since Sebeta is just 25 kilometers from Addis, it has a huge traveling support and therefore is likely to be back to the upper tier” a Sebeta supporter suggested.
One of the most popular Premier League sides in the 1980s Medin also appeared to be on the right course following Dereje Belay’s appointment to the hot seat. The coach that led Jimma AbaBuna to promotion two seasons ago, the former Mekelakya defender with his deputy former Medin mid fielder Matias are said to have developed a physically fit ball playing team already collecting four points from two matches. An away goal less draw against strong side Shire-Endaselassie followed by an away 1-0 victory over Federal Police, nick named “Argentines” Ethiopia Medin might bring back the good old days after five frustrating seasons in the woods. The group winners win automatic promotion while the runners-up go for a one-off with the winner to become the third team to join the upper league at the end of the season.
Zeritu Kebede and Joss Stone hold concert
Joss Stone Live and Unplugged featuring Zeritu Kebede was the event to be at on Saturday, December 2, 2017. The concert took place at the Mosaic Hotel.
First time in Addis, Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist. Her second album, the similarly multi-platinum Mind Body & Soul in 2004, topped the UK Albums Chart for one week and spawned the top ten hit “You Had Me”, Stone’s most successful single on the UK Singles Chart to date.
Both the album and single received one nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards, while Stone herself was nominated for Best New Artist, and in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2004, was ranked fifth as a predicted breakthrough act of 2004.
She became the youngest British female singer to top the UK Albums Chart. Stone’s third album, Introducing Joss Stone, released in March 2007, achieved gold record status by the RIAA and yielded the second-ever highest debut for a British female solo artist on the Billboard 200, and became Stone’s first top five album in the US.
She released her fourth album, Colour Me Free!, on 20 October 2009, which reached the top 10 on Billboard. Stone released her fifth album, LP1, on 22 July 2011, which reached the top 10 on Billboard. Throughout her career, Stone has sold 14 million records worldwide, establishing herself as one of the best-selling soul artists of the 2000s, and the best-selling British artists of her time. Her first three albums have sold over 2,722,000 copies in the US, while her first two albums have sold over 2 million copies in the UK.
Stone has earned numerous accolades, including two Brit Awards and one Grammy Award out of five nominations. She also made her film acting debut in 2006 with the fantasy adventure film Eragon, and made her television debut portraying Anne of Cleves in the Showtime series The Tudors in 2009.
Stone was the youngest woman on the 2006 Sunday Times Rich List-an annual list of the UK’s wealthiest people-with £6 million. In 2012, her net worth was estimated to be £10 million, making her the fifth richest British musician under 30. The Soul Sessions Vol. 2 (2012) is her fourth consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
