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From: Eri-International Sports Comments (michael.seium@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Nov 14 2010 - 15:35:58 EST
I guess the term "Nkhid Tray" or "Segum" is applying in sports these
days and Eritrea is starting to make some serious noise be it running,
cycling, or soccer. While runners continue to run and make their mark
internationally, the Cycling team has also proven to be the best in
Africa. What an honor and what a moment for the nation of Eritrea. It
was just in 1996 when two Eritrean Cyclists came to the U.S.A to be
exact in the city of Atlanta when they were denied participation at the
1996 Olympics. The two who got an overwhelming support from Eritreans
in the diaspora along with a humanitarian Japanese group known as Peace
Boat did not get a chance to participate. Yohannes Zekarias and Bereket
Zere watched on the sidelines despite all the efforts to get them to
participate only four years after an independent Eritrea was formed.
Their moment of pride was shattered as the IOC denied them entry to
participate after they flew to Atlanta all the way from Eritrea.
Well! Oh how times have changed. Today two Eritrean cyclists have
qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London and more may come as we near
the next Olympics almost 15 years later since Atlanta 1996. Daniel
Teklehaimanot and Meron Russom have already bought their ticket after
an astonshing performance at the African Continental Cycling
championships held in Rwanda. The Eritrean national team has also shown
that it is capable of working as a team as they won the team trial
session easily placing First. In the elite race Eritrea placed four
cyclists in the top ten and 7 in the top twenty with Frekalsi Debessai
finishing a strong 19th. Frekalsi one of the top notch cyclists
continues to play a big role in the development of Eritrean cycling
despite his results which is not too bad at all.
What makes Daniel's situation even sweeter is the fact that he is a
professional athlete in Europe and he made his way back to represent
Eritrea in the African continental championship. He is an inspiration
to other athletes and we hope to see an Eritrean Gold in the 2012
Olympics in London.Congratulations to Eritrean athletics as the
term "Nkhid tray" & "Segum" are proving to be a success model just like
everything else happening in this nation of the can do people.
For Eri-International sports Mike Seium
Here below are results of the top 20 from the African Cycling
Competition in the Elite men's course,Top twenty Elite (Eritrean
cyclists highlighted)
1Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri)3:54:06 2Meron Russom (Eri)0:00:28 3Dan
Craven (Nam) 4Adil Jelloul (Mar)0:01:14 5Araya Medhin Dawit Haile (Eri)
6Azzedine Lagab (Alg)0:01:31 7Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) 8Adrien
Niyonshuti (Rwa) 9Teweldemedhin Natnael Berhane (Eri) 10Abdelati
Saadoune (Mar) 11Tesfai Teklit (Eri)0:01:55 12Paul Agorir (Ken)0:01:59
13Hichem Chabane (Alg)0:02:57 14Estifanos Gebresilassie (Eth) 15Gabriel
Combrinck (RSA)0:03:33 16Sollomon Bittew Shiferaw (Eth) 17Issiaka
Fofana (CIv)0:08:09 18Fathi Ahmed Atunsi (Lba) 19Frekalsi Debesai (Eri)
20Gasore Hategeka (Rwa)
-- Posted By Eri-International Sports Comments to Eri-International Sports at 11/14/2010 12:35:00 PM----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----