As part of the Great Ethiopian Run’s (GER) ongoing campaign to promote healthy living among the public in Ethiopia, GER announced plans to stage a virtual 5km race. All funds raised from the race will be donated to the fight against the COVID-19 virus. This comes as a 500,000 birr donation was previously made by Great Ethiopian Run for Covid-19 National Fund raising Committee.
“Stay Safe Ethiopia” is a campaign launched by Great Ethiopian Run to encourage the public to stay safe and healthy during this time and to support the efforts being made by government, to protect our citizens from the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Registration for the race which is being called “Stay Safe Ethiopia – 5km virtual race” started on Monday, May 04 with the race itself taking place over a five-day period in early June, the organizers announced.
At the race launch, the renowned artist Biruk Yeshitila, in the presence of the Merewa Choir group, will attempt to break his 2015 Great Ethiopian Run record of 135 seconds to complete 50m.
“Which if achieved, will result in a pledge in his name to the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus. “Biruk is an inspiration for us all. If he commits to this challenge, then so should we all,” said Dagmawit Amare from the GER.
Participants are being asked to register by phone or visiting GER’s website where they will receive details on how to register for the race. Further race information is being given through a telegram group for those who have registered. A registration fee of 100 birr has been set for the participants with all fees to be donated to combat COVID-19.
“This is a typical Great Ethiopian Run initiative,” said Michael Mesfin, who has already decided to register for the race. “It encourages us to stay fit. But this is about more than sport and our own fitness. It captures the spirit of the moment, where as a country, we need to unite, protect ourselves and help others. Just by taking part, we can all have that winning feeling, and I for one, will encourage many of my friends to take part.”
Participants will use an app for recording their race distance and finishing time. Details of how to use the app will be given after participants register for the race. Participants are also being given the chance to design their own race number which they can wear while completing the run. The idea is to give participants the chance to use their own slogan expressing their way of wanting to unite in fighting the virus.
A maximum number of 500 places are available for the race. Every participant in the virtual race will receive their own finishers’ medal, which will be delivered to their homes.
Great Ethiopian Run to stage 5k virtual race
Ethiopia and Guinea cancelled their leagues
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt football activities across the continent, two more African nations have now cancelled their league campaigns for the season.
On Tuesday, the Ethiopian Football Federation confirmed that football activities had been cancelled for the season following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“Considering the country is under a state of emergency and the unpredictability of the coronavirus outbreak, we have decided to cancel this year’s all league games,” an official statement read, per the BBC.
According to Ethiopian League Company President Lieutenant Fekade Mamo, with State of Emergency to stay at least until the end of August and the pandemic might hit hard in the coming months of June, July and August, cancelling the season stood the only option. “The Board discussed every single issue including declaring the league’s leader a champion. But the majority of member clubs agreed on cancelling the season for there still stands a mathematical probability of winning the title even for eleven points Hadiya-Hossana currently bottom of the table with 13 fixtures to go” Board Chairman Fekade suggested.
The decision comes just days after the Guinean Football Association took similar measures, with both nations declaring their respective seasons “null and void” rather than crowning champions.
Last month, Mauritius became the first African nation to abandon football for the campaign, with Kenya and three other countries having since followed suit. Football could be returning in Mali and Zambia, however, after those federations informed CAF of their intention to complete the 2019/20 season.
CAF had previously requested all of its member nations to advise whether they planned to continue or cancel their respective domestic campaigns by Tuesday, 5 May.
(BBC)
At 53 Mike Tyson is plotting to return to the ring
Former two division world champion Ricky Hatton is all too familiar with making a comeback after years of retirement.
Hatton retired from the sport in 2009, when he was knocked out cold by Manny Pacquiao.
In 2012, Hatton was able to overcome a lot of his demons outside the ring and got himself in proper form. He made an attempt at a comeback, and once again retired after getting knocked out by Vyacheslav Senchenko.
In the recent headlines, is 53-year-old former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Tyson, who retired back in 2005, has been pondering the possibility of returning to the ring for a few exhibition fights to raise money for charity.
After releasing a viral video clip, which showcased his speed and power in training, Tyson began receiving massive financial offers to return to the ring.
Hatton hopes Tyson stays away from the ring and remains in retirement, because he doesn’t want to see the Hall of Famer get hurt.
“Mike’s in a good place now,” Hatton told IFL TV. “A few years ago, not when he bit [Evander] Holyfield’s ear and all that, even when he retired he wasn’t in a very good place. I think he was on medication and stuff like that. But now he’s doing real positive things with his life. He’s doing motivational speaking, he’s talking well, he’s looking well.
“Now his body is right and his head’s right, why is he thinking about a comeback? I don’t get it. It would be a tragedy for him after going through all those bad times to getting right on the straight and narrow to giving himself some serious injury. It would be heartbreaking.”
US Women’s equal pay claim dismissed by court
The United States women’s football team’s bid for equal pay has been dismissed by a court, with the judge rejecting the players’ claims they were underpaid compared to the men.
The lawsuit was filed by 28 women’s national team players last year against the US Soccer Federation (USSF). They had been seeking $66m (£52.8m) in damages under the Equal Pay Act.
Molly Levinson, the players’ spokeswoman, said that they planned to appeal against the decision. “We are shocked and disappointed,” said Levinson. “We will not give up our hard work for equal pay. “We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender.”
Federal judge Gary Klausner allowed the players’ case for unfair treatment in travel, housing and medical support to go to trial, which is set for 16 June in Los Angeles.
Giving its ruling, the court said: “The women’s team has been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the men’s team over the class period.”
The US team won the Women’s World Cup last summer for their fourth title overall. They have also won five Olympic gold medals.
After the equal pay claim was dismissed, striker Megan Rapinoe, who won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at last year’s World Cup, tweeted: “We will never stop fighting for equality.”
Fellow US striker Alex Morgan said: “Although disappointing to hear this news, this will not discourage us in our fight for equality.”
The USSF said it wanted to work with the team to “chart a positive path forward to grow the game both here at home and around the world”.
Before they played Japan in the SheBelieves Cup on 12 March, the US players turned their tops inside out during the warm-up to hide their badges, leaving only the four stars which represent their World Cup successes on show.
The women’s case had been publicly supported by male players, and in February the US men’s team issued a statement criticizing the governing body, saying that “the federation continues to discriminate against the women in their wages and working conditions”.
