Yewetatoch Andinet Athletics Club
After meeting theses truly amazing athletes while in Ethiopia, I decided to take a more permanent position in team. They named me honorary president of the Yewetatoch Andinet Athletics Club and I am so excited to have my hand in this pot!
Stay tuned for detailed information on each runner and track the team's progress as meet results are posted!
Stay tuned for detailed information on each runner and track the team's progress as meet results are posted!
Learn About the Team
Yewetatoch Andinet Athletics Club was founded by Mr Kaleb Abera and Corporal Nedi Edea. It was established having 24 inital members. “We used to talk about setting up an athletics club that would play a pivotal role in the Ethiopian athletics sector in producing well-trained and determined athlets”, says Mr. Kaleb telling how the idea came to realization.
The founders took the initiatives to gather young boys and girls who were interested in the athletics sport, and started training them. “They all were very glad about the idea of training them in a more practical and scientific coaching systems so that they would be competent enough in their atheltics endeavours”, says Mr. Nedi remembering the reaction of the boys at the very beginning.
After some time the club had to get accreditation and a name from Ethiopian Athletics Federation. “The idea came from the trainees that they would love it to be called Yewetatoch Andinet Athletics Club, and we all had to agree because we loved it very much as it exactly expresses our intention of founding the club”, says Mr. Kaleb Abera.
Following the legal recognition, the club quickly shifted the focus to convincing its members their dreams would come true. The trainings began intensively meeting three days for two - three hours in the morning. The trainings took place at the famous spot in Addis knonw as Mekel Square where a number of people frequented for doing fitness.
Gradually, the club started to grab attention of many more young athletics-loving boys and girls. “On hearing the reputation of the club enormous number of boys and girls wanted to join in”,recalls Mr. Kaleb. The club accepted some more athlets and by now the number of athlets has reached to 29.
The founders took the initiatives to gather young boys and girls who were interested in the athletics sport, and started training them. “They all were very glad about the idea of training them in a more practical and scientific coaching systems so that they would be competent enough in their atheltics endeavours”, says Mr. Nedi remembering the reaction of the boys at the very beginning.
After some time the club had to get accreditation and a name from Ethiopian Athletics Federation. “The idea came from the trainees that they would love it to be called Yewetatoch Andinet Athletics Club, and we all had to agree because we loved it very much as it exactly expresses our intention of founding the club”, says Mr. Kaleb Abera.
Following the legal recognition, the club quickly shifted the focus to convincing its members their dreams would come true. The trainings began intensively meeting three days for two - three hours in the morning. The trainings took place at the famous spot in Addis knonw as Mekel Square where a number of people frequented for doing fitness.
Gradually, the club started to grab attention of many more young athletics-loving boys and girls. “On hearing the reputation of the club enormous number of boys and girls wanted to join in”,recalls Mr. Kaleb. The club accepted some more athlets and by now the number of athlets has reached to 29.
Achievements
Especially with the energetic young female athlets’ remarkable effort, the club ranked 18th out of 40 well-experienced and highly equiped clubs in Addis a year after its establishment. This victory created a great sense of inspiration among the athlets. One year later, the club ranked 3rd in the female short and middle distance race.
Unfortunately, in the last two years the club was not able to keep its previous success on track due to financial and material constraints that rather made many of the strong members desperate, and some of them were forced to leave the club. However, in this year our athlets, showing great inspiration after the donation of running shoes from Shoes for Sheba, participated in the annual Moha Athletics Championship held in the capital Addis Ababa and won five medals.
Unfortunately, in the last two years the club was not able to keep its previous success on track due to financial and material constraints that rather made many of the strong members desperate, and some of them were forced to leave the club. However, in this year our athlets, showing great inspiration after the donation of running shoes from Shoes for Sheba, participated in the annual Moha Athletics Championship held in the capital Addis Ababa and won five medals.