Great Ethiopian Run race organisers have announced that Safaricom Telecommunication Ethiopia Plc has taken on the title sponsorship of their annual Women First 5km road race, which will take place on Sunday 13th March 2022. Announcing the news, General Manager of Great Ethiopian Run, Dagmawit Amare said “we are very happy to have Safaricom as our title sponsor for the 19th edition of the race. With their focus on sport and young people in their partnerships in Ethiopia, we believe that there is a good fit with our work of delivering high-quality mass-participation running events to a diverse range of running enthusiasts.”
In June 2021, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc was awarded an operating license for telecom services in Ethiopia in the single largest foreign direct investment into Ethiopia. Capitalising on its vast experience as one of Africa’s biggest telecom operators, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc plans to invest over $8.5 billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years in order to support Ethiopia’s digital transformation agenda.
“We are excited to be the title sponsor for the 2022 Women First 5km run as we grow our commitment to investing, supporting and growing sports talent in the country in order to create more opportunities for youth development,” said Anwar Soussa, Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc.
“We believe in the power of sports and its ability to transform lives, especially for the youth. As part of our commitment to sports, we will support athletics in Ethiopia and we have the ambition to nurture and grow local talent. We are proud to partner with the Great Ethiopian Run as we continue to build a network in the home of champions,” he added.
Registration for the run opens on Monday 14th February 2022, when ten thousand places will be on offer for participants.
GER announces Safaricom as title sponsor for 2022 Women First 5km
Ethiopian Bamlak Tessema: Best referee of AFCON in Senegal’s win
Fans have praised referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa for his officiating during Senegal’s semi-final win over Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Ethiopian overturned two penalty decisions to Senegal after VAR reviews in a dramatic first half.
Firstly, Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi collided with Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate in the box.
But the shot stopper appeared to get to the ball with a punch and Tessema ruled no penalty after reviewing the collision on the pitchside monitor.
Ten seconds before the break, Edmond Tapsoba was booked for handball and the referee pointed to the spot.
However, after another review Tessema overturned the booking and the penalty decision.
Footballing fans took to Twitter to hail his officiating, praising his decision to overturn the penalty calls.
One posted: ‘The referee in the Burkina Faso Senegal game is having such a good game. Has got right all the key decisions and is clearly in charge. Refreshing to see at AFCON.’
‘I’ve seen this referee doing a couple of games at the AFCON semi-final tonight,’ wrote another. ‘I like his style; totally officious, quick to reach for his cards and blow for a penalty, and just as quick to change his mind once he sees the VAR. ‘Likes a high waistband too. Top reffing.’
‘Fantastic refereeing the referee to cancel the yellow card and Penalty which had been given for Senegal,’ said another fan.
Thompson and Kipchoge nominated for Laureus World Sport Awards
Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah, Allyson Felix and Eliud Kipchoge have been nominated for the Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year honours in this year’s Laureus Awards.
Despite the ongoing disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the return of major events including the Olympic Games in Tokyo provided unforgettable drama in the sporting world, and they are reflected in the lists of nominees.
Thompson-Herah, who last year was named the World Female Athlete of the Year, is nominated for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award following her triple gold-medal-winning performance in Tokyo, where she won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.
Felix, meanwhile, is nominated off the back of her record-breaking medal tally, with her 400m bronze and 4x400m gold medals taking her count to 11 medals. They are joined on the list of nominees by swimmers Emma McKeon and Katie Ledecky, tennis player Ashleigh Barty and football player Alexia Putellas.
Kenyan marathon legend Kipchoge is one of six nominees for the men’s award, alongside NFL player Tom Brady, Bayern Munich footballer Robert Lewandowski, Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, tennis player Novak Djokovic and swimmer Caleb Dressel.
Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas and Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, meanwhile, are nominated for the Breakthrough award.
The winners will be revealed in April, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy, comprising 71 sporting legends.
Ethiopian Berihu and Axumawit put in a show in Karlsruhe
At the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe, Berihu Aregawi solo ran his way to the fifth-fastest indoor 3000m in history.
The 20-year-old ran 7:26.20 to move to fifth on the world indoor all-time list behind Kenya’s Komen – who achieved his world record in Budapest in 1998, three years before Aregawi was born – and his Ethiopian compatriots Getnet Wale, Selemon Barega and Haile Gebrselassie. It was in Karlsruhe that Gebrselassie had recorded that mark, his 7:26.15 meeting record – then a world record – having been run in 1998.
Following the pacemakers through 1000m in 2:27.20, he was on world record pace, and when the second pacer left the track with seven laps to go, Berihu forged on.
He passed 2000m in 4:56.87 and was roared around the final lap as he crossed the finish line with 7:26.20 on the clock. His previous PB had been the 7:29.24 he ran in Lievin last year – the fastest ever indoor performance by a teenager
Like the men’s 3000m, the women’s 1500m had started off fast. The pacemaker had gone through 400m in a blistering 1:01.80, before Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha took over at the front. She led through 800m but by that time it had turned from a time trial to a race, with 2:10.23 on the clock.
After the ambitious start, 2014 world indoor silver medalist Axumawit Embaye surged ahead and hit the bell in the lead, going on to win in a world-leading PB of 4:02.12. Just behind, her compatriots Meshesha and Olympic fourth-place finisher Freweyni Hailu ran 4:02.14 and 4:02.66 respectively ahead of Uganda’s Olympic and world finalist Winnie Nanyondo, who broke her own national indoor record with 4:04.25.
