Run, Run and run - Ethiopia's romance with sporting glory - Ethiopian Journey - Blog post no - 22

Ethiopian Athletes at the 2012, London Games  

What I am saying might come as a big surprise to a majority of my readers. Most of us have a world view that can frankly be called “navel grazing”. We are so wrapped up with ourselves and our self-belief that we are among the best in the world, if not the best!

For human indices for child development for kids under five, India’s indices are even worse than that of the Sub Saharan countries where some of the worlds’ poorest people reside. So When ever we talk about Ethiopia even among my own academic fraternity there are blank stares. THEY DON’T HAVE a CLUE ABOUT WHAT OR WHERE IS ETHIOPIA.

Happy Ethiopian Kids 

After a Titanic struggle they would come out with a jewel “oh! that country that was starving and where many people died due to famine”. Yes, there is no denying that Ethiopia suffered very badly due to the famine and had to pay a heavy price overcoming the connected stigma.

But the Ethiopia that we saw in 2002, was not that was portrayed to us by the popular media. There was poverty and poor people but they exist in India too.

The second shock is that Ethiopia has a great culture and tradition. Nowhere is it more stark than when it comes to sporting events. India is number one in games like cricket which is played by very few countries.  India also does well in sports where one person or two players play either individually or as a doubles team like Snooker, billiards and Chess.

The only world sport that India does very well is tennis, that too because of individual brilliance. Stars like Sania and Leander Paes have succeeded not due of the system. Rather they have succeeded inspite of the system. There are some bright spots appearing, but very few. We have started to do well in badminton and that too because of Pullela Gopichand Coaching Academy.

High Altitude Training

The one area where all countries try to excel is, in Summer Olympics. Olympics is watched by everyone in the world and countries strain every sinew to get noticed. Countries like USSR, East Germany and the eastern bloc countries in the 70s and 80s and China now tries everything to be in limelight. Success is seen as a sign of arriving at the world scene. It is a signal that the country is economically prosperous and making rapid strides in all spheres of life.

But we have a strange anomaly of the east African countries especially Ethiopia, Kenya, and Eritrea who excel in a big way and turn heads in amazement with their sporting achievements. At the same time, they are classified as middle to low income economies.  Let us look at some cold facts that will jolt the living daylight out of us.

India has been participating in all the Summer Olympics right from first edition in 1986 to the latest and 28^th edition held in 2016 at Rio De Janerio, Brazil. India has got 9 Gold, 7 silver and 12 bronze medals for a total of 28 medals. On the face of it, the tally looks good. Hold on! We are talking about 28 Olympics in all. That is a measly one medal per Olympics. And we are the second most populous country in the world.  One medal per Olympics is unpardonable by any standards.

To make things even more bleak, out of these 28 medals, 11 medals came from field hockey and that includes 8 gold medals. That means in all our Olympic history, WE HAVE WON ONLY ONE INDIVIDUAL GOLD MEDAL.  That individual gold medal was won by Abhinav Bindra in 2008 Olympics. That is a depressing thought for all sports lovers.

Rocky path to success 

On the other side we have the case of Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world, which excels in the field of sports. There are lot of theories; that the high altitude terrain and the training that the athletes get at these high altitudes are the reasons for success. Or that they are genetically predisposed to run long distances. But these reasons are over simplifying a phenomenon that is difficult to explain. Many other countries like Mexico too have high altitude.  

Young Wannabe Olympic Champions 

Other countries have athletes with who have similar low body fat and low carbohydrate food habits. But these other countries could not replicate the successes that the East African runners are churning out with monotonous regularity.

There is definitely something else that motivates East Africans to do so well and that too so consistently. Let’s look at how the nations perform. If we compare all medals won per GDP (in million US dollars): The first rank goes to Jamaica with 67 medals at 4656.011 medals per GDP in million Dollars. Ethiopia comes in at 19^th Rank for 45 medals at 950.570 medals per GDP in million Dollars. 

There is only one country in Africa that does even better than Ethiopia. It is their great neighbour Kenya which comes in at 7^th rank for 86 medals at 1898.036 medals per GDP in million Dollars.

If we look at only gold medals won per GDP, (million US dollars): The first rank goes to Hungary at 169 gold medals at 1294.028 per GDP, in million US dollars, Ethiopia comes in at 12^th with 21 gold medals at 443.599 per GDP, in million US dollars. again only Kenya does even better coming at 8^th at 25 gold medals at 551.755 per GDP, in million US dollars.

Let us look at the medal lists in terms of GDP per $1,000 per capita:

Rank	Country	MEDALS	MEdals/GDPPD
1	China	526	53.673
2	United States	2706	51.250
3	Kenya	86	47.778
4	Ethiopia	45	37.500

Let us look at the medal lists in terms of GDP per $1,000 per capita:

RANK	COUNTRY	GOLD MEDALS	GOLD MEDALS/GDPPD
1	China	213	21.735
2	United States	1083	20.511
3	Ethiopia	21	17.500
4	Kenya	25	13.889

 

All statistics taken from “OLYMPIC MEDALS WON BY NATIONS – A DEEPER ANALYSIS by BMALLON written on JUly 14, 2014. Url: http://olympstats.com/2014/07/14/olympic-medals-won-by-nations-a-deeper-analysis/

Bekoji, town that produced 10 gold medal winning Olympic runners 

Need I say more!. Interestingly, the majority of East Africa’s successful runners come from three mountainous districts that run beside the Great Rift Valley. In Kenya, most of the country’s successful runners come from Nandi region. In Ethiopia, most of the country’s successful runners come from Arsi and Shewa regions. The Ethiopian town of Bekoji, having a population of only 20,000 has won a whopping 16 Olympic medals and 10 of them gold.

In next post we will talk about some of the greatest world class athletes that Ethiopia has produced. And it makes for fascinating reading.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Tezer and Foosball - The heart of Ethiopian Games - Ethiopian Journey - Blog Post no - 21

(Continued from Blog post no - 20)

watching EPL match in a hotel

What do the Ethiopians get in return for the two birr they paid. They get to watch the live telecast and also get a free chilled coca (Coca-Cola). The regular price of the coke in the market too is two birr. So how do Ethiostar or the other hotels that extend the same service get benefited? Simply it’s the hotels’ way of paying back to the society. Most of the youngsters watching the live telecast are from the local community and they are literally the ears and eyes of that area.

And as we know that it is always better to be in friendly terms with the immediate environment in which a business operates. Coca-Cola missed out on building more good will. If Coca-Cola had added some Kolo or a Dabo Kolo, the good will would have increased by leaps and bounds. Delight the customer and make him the brand advocate for a life time!

Manchester United Fans, Ethoipia

But the rivalry that generates the maximum fun, enjoyment, and ribbing and sometimes even clashes and scuffles are the bi-annual matches that involve Manchester United and Arsenal. Manchester United and Arsenal are top notch Premier clubs that boast of fierce fans who are ready to do anything for their team.

Arsenal Fans and Flags 

Come Sunday and we have supporters coming with huge towels or flags with their team colours and logos  and they would boisterously support their own teams. The support for both teams was uniform and other wise close friends almost come to blows over a penalty missed or some injustice meted out to their teams. Arsenal was more popular than Manchester United as Arsenal had more black and players of African origin. Once I watched a Manchester United Vs Arsenal match in BDU auditorium and it will remain as one of the most enjoyable interactions with the football crazy Ethiopians.

Another interesting ethnic game that I saw being played is ‘Tezer’. In this game first a suitable pole is chosen. A long rope may be of two or three feet is firmly tied to the middle section of the pole. At the other end of the rope a small round ball made by a roll of plastic sheet shoved into socks is fixed. The rule of the game is that the players should not touch the rope to which the ball is tied. Also the ball should not touch their clothes. When kicked, if the ball finishes revolving around the pole unchecked by the player in the defender position, the player who kicked the ball will be a winner. I found the acrobatics involved in the game to be of very high calibre!

I should thank my student and now a distinguished faculty at department of accounting, BDU,  Dr. Elefachew Mossisa who has guided me in identifying this game and telling me its name. Betam Konjo (very Good) and ahmesugenalew  (thank you) . Also I should also thank Hider Ali, who has sent very old and rare photos.I will be use them later Hider. 

Of course fun loving Ethiopians also play the loud and very boisterously ‘foosball’. Ethiopians call it Joteni (thanks to Dr. Elefachew Mossisa again) . Table football, also called fuzboll and sometimes table soccer. Foosball is a table-top game that uses figures representing football players, fixed on rotating rods.  To begin the game, the ball is served through a hole at the side of the table, or simply placed by hand at the feet of a figure in the centre of the table. The initial serving side is decided with a coin toss. Players attempt to use figures mounted on rotating bars to kick the ball into the opposing goal. Expert players have been known to move balls at speeds up to 56 km/h (35 mph) in competition.

It is a very engrossing game, but tends to get very noisy. In the chilly evening breeze slightly tipsy Ethiopians and sometimes even foreigners engage and enjoy this maddeningly intoxicating ‘foosball”.

The world most beautiful game - Football and Ethiopia - Made for each other - Ethiopian Journey - Blog Post no - 20

Ethiopian Kids Playing Football

But the game that all the Ethiopians love is Football. For the slim built Ethiopians, playing football comes naturally. They play with anything including cloth rags rounded up as a ball. They can play football continuously and with great élan.  It was a truly fascinating seeing the agility, the body feints and dodges. Football and Africans are made for each other.

Waiting to Get inside 

The passion for football cuts across all demographics like age, class, ethnicity and gender. Ethiopia at that time in 2002 had a magic wand that made it popular with the football crazy Bahirdar residents. Ethiostar had a dish antennae that could beam Super Sports channel. 

EPL, English Premier League

Super Sports has the rights to beam live EPL (English Premiership league) matches. English Premiership League is an England based soccer league that features world class football stars who play for legendary football clubs. EPL is the 4^th most watched sports league in the world.  EPL matches are usually played on Saturday, Sunday and sometimes on Thursday.

IPL, Indian Premier League

According to the same post IPL (Indian Premier League) stands sixth in the list of most watched sports leagues in the world. And Indians should be proud of the fact that IPL is only ten years old whereas the other sports leagues have had a head start. If sheer number of people watching the sport on Television is taken as measure, IPL would be head and shoulder above the other leagues.  Millions of viewers watch matches across India and in many other countries. Many leading cricket players from other countries play in IPL and this had generated lot of spectator interest for IPL across the world.

One advantage India has is its population. Only China could have given it a run for its money. But China has wisely opted out of the race. India very soon will have the dubious distinction for being the most populous country in the world.

The per capita income of Ethiopians in 2000 was around three birr/day. That is slightly less than eighteen rupees. But most poor and underprivileged, earned between one and two birr per day. Before we all become teary eyed and sentimental, let us look at hard facts.

Let me work out the math for you. One birr had lot of purchasing power (one birr = 100 santims). For sixty santims one could get an Injira, fifteen santims could buy a Shai and at the end of the day with the 25 santims remaining, one could buy a glass of Talla (a yellow frothy ethnic Ethiopian beer)! Not bad!

So from an Ethiopian view point, a birr is a lot of money. On Saturday and Sunday, the locals come in hordes to Ethiostar. They dress nattily and are in joyous mood. They pay two birr (that is their one day salary) and get into the dining area and settle into the chairs. They patiently wait for an event that they anticipated for an entire week. Then the TV set flicks on and their favourite EPL match comes on - and it is LIVE. They start screaming, hollowing and enjoying themselves. This continues for the entire duration of the match.

"Shall we Go to New York Sir?" - Ethiopian Journey - Blog Post no - 19

Ethiopia is one of the few countries in the world that does not consume sweets. Coming from a civilization that celebrates everything with sweets, that comes as a great shock. In India everything starts with sweets and ends with sweets, there are terms that have sweets in build; ‘you are such a sweet person, he has a sweet tooth, Mu Meeta karo (have a sweet), sweet nothings, your son is nice like a laddu (nice and round, like the Indian sweet), as sweet as a pie, sweet memories’. Cakes and pastries are the only sweets that we could get to eat in Ethiopia. Rest was all fruits and fruit juices.

Ethiopia had great relations with Erstwhile USSR (now Russia) during the Dreg Regime. Many Infrastructure projects were built by the Soviets. POLY and PEDA too were built by them. There are remnants of that Soviet influence still lingering on. Our management faculty room had very strange electric switches. The on and off positions are exactly in the reverse direction. Our OFF position is ON for the Soviets and vice versa. Initially it was quite confusing.

Ethiopians frankly considered sweet loving Soviets as sissies. They could not comprehend anyone having anything that is similar to eating raw sugar. Even my colleagues when offered traditional Indian sweets would take a little bite and then exclaim “oh it is just like sugar”.

But just like any other new thing, even eating sweets too can become an acquired taste. Most maids who worked in Indian teachers’ houses became very fond of sweets. Ehteh Maskaram who worked in our house had become very fond of Bobbattu (an Indian jaggery filled delicacy that is made on special occasions, like telugu new year).

Author playing Table tennis en-route to Lalibela in 2003

There are other things that the soviets taught the Ethiopians. One of them was love for table tennis. Played indoors, in Ethiopia it metamorphosed into a rustic outdoor sport. It was quite common to see very rustic and crude tables laid out in the open and children enjoying themselves.

Being a good table tennis player myself, I played this form of rustic open road side table tennis many times and came out second best in some occasions. The sight of an Indian playing table tennis in full gusto would attract many bystanders and cause small traffic jams. Obviously the crowd would support their own local boys and getting booed and jeered was par for the course.  

That evening Dr. Naidu came to the hotel. He said “Sir, shall we go to New York”. I was quite excited! “But sir” I said “we just landed in Ethiopia. I am not very sure if the ministry would give permission. What if they ask us pay for the travel expenses and also ask for three month’s pay? I want to come but I don’t think it is possible at this point of time” The practicality of the situation kicked in.

Dr. Naidu was puzzled. He gave out a huge guffaw “oh Sir” he said rocking himself front and forth “I am not taking about real New York. I am referring to New York, the most modern and trendy super market in Bahirdar”. It was now my turn to look sheepish. We went to New York.

According to Bahirdar standards, New York was quite trendy. The owner had a sister who lived in New York and as a mark of respect and love he named his store as New York. New York was a boon for the expatriate population. It had products that were not available anywhere else like chocolates and had some stuff that Indians really loved, basmati rice and vermicelli. Of course the products were costly but once in a while, a visit to New York lightened up our otherwise quite mundane lives. 

Chao, Chao - Cross Cultural Communication - Ethiopian Journey - Blog Post no -18

Stunning Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church Mural Painting 

Italy occupied Ethiopia only for five years. Even in that short time, they left their impression. There are many words used which have Italian origin like Makeena (automobile) and Macatho (tea with milk). Readers should not get confuse Macatho with Mercato. Mercato is the Latin word for markets.  The world’s largest open air market operates in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. No prizes for guessing the name of the market! What else but ‘Mercato’. A visit to Mercato, Addis Ababa is a practical lesson in selling, marketing and the art of charming negotiations, executed with a disarming smile.  

Chao, chao, (bye, bye)

Ethiopian greeting for bye-bye is ‘Chao Chao’. It is easy for the Indians to pretend that they have quickly assimilated themselves and that they are one among the locals. I remember one Telugu teacher calling his wife and having a lengthy conversation. At the end of the conversation my friends said “okay take care, chao, Chao’.

Next day, my friend received an urgent communication from Dr. Naidu. My friend was received by Dr. Naidu, who told him that my friend’s wife had called. She was very upset and concerned. She had asked Naidu sir “What is the issue with my husband? Why is he so angry? Is he not happy in Ethiopia? Why is he so upset with me? Why did he want to wish me death?” The poor lady was in tears.

Dr. Naidu was concerned. He asked for an explanation from my friend and then his face lit up in a grin “oh, oh, oh” he said “you wanted to impress your wife by saying Chao chao. You wanted to sound and act like an NRI who has settled in a foreign country for 20 years. You have forgotten that your wife does not know the meaning of the phrase ‘Chao Chao’ which sounds very much like Chavu chavu (the telugu word for death). And, at the speed at which you talk during an international call, it must have sounded like chavu chavu”.

Dr. Naidu made my friend call his wife and made him tender a proper apology. Pray, tell me which wife would like her husband to call her from thousands of kilometres away and wish her death?  

Buna, Black Coffee  

Early morning starts with a cuppa. It can be Buna or black coffee served hot and very strong. It can be added with milk in which case it becomes Macatho. 

Shai, Black Tea

Shai is tea served without milk (black tea). Tea with milk is unheard of and if requested, is met with blank stares and amusement!

Ethiopians are fond of sugar. Their morning Shai or Bunna is full of it. It was quite common to see a small glass having at least two large spoon full of sugar in it. It makes sense. For a hard working farmer who would not have a breakfast, that morning Shai or Bunna with the sugar intake would give him that critical carbohydrate shot that will sustain him till he has his meagre afternoon lunch.