Let’s Talk About This Obsession
Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I’ve been writing about sports for longer than I’ve been without acne. That’s right, I’m old. But I’m not just old, I’m old and opinionated. And I’m not just opinionated, I’m opinionated about Ethiopian sports. Which, honestly, is a mess. A beautiful, chaotic, infuriating mess.
I first fell in love with this madness back in 1998. I was a wide-eyed journalism student in Addis, sitting in a cramped apartment with my friend Emebet, watching the national football team play. We were young, we were loud, and we were convinced that Ethiopia was gonna take over the world. (Spoiler: we were wrong.)
But here’s the thing about Ethiopian sports. It’s not about winning. It’s about the committment, the passion, the sheer bloody-mindedness of it all. It’s about the 12-year-old kid in Mekelle who runs 15 kilometers to school every day because he wants to be the next Haile. It’s about the football team in Hawassa that plays barefoot because they can’t afford boots. It’s about the women’s basketball team in Addis that practices at 5am because that’s the only time the gym is free.
We’re Not Good, But We’re Ours
And, look, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you we’re good. Because we’re not. We’re not good at football. We’re not good at basketball. We’re not even that good at athletics, frankly. But we’re ours. And that counts for something.
I remember talking to a coach named Dave a few years back. He told me, “You know what the problem is with Ethiopian sports? We’re too focused on the result. We’re too focused on winning. We forget about the process.” And I asked him, “So what do we do about it?” And he said, “We enjoy it. We enjoy the process. We enjoy the mess.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But Here’s the Thing About the Mess
Now, don’t get me wrong. The mess can be frustrating. It can be infuriating. It can be downright depressing. But it’s our mess. And it’s a mess that’s getting better. Slowly but surely, we’re improving. We’re learning. We’re growing.
Take athletics, for example. We’re not the powerhouse we once were, but we’re still producing world-class athletes. Athletes like Genzebe Dibaba, who set a world record in the 1500m in 2015. Athletes like Letesenbet Gidey, who broke the world record in the 5000m just last year. These are our athletes. These are our heroes.
And then there’s football. Oh, football. We’re not good. But we’re getting better. We’re learning. We’re improving. And we’re having fun doing it. I mean, have you seen the Ethiopian Premier League lately? It’s a circus. A beautiful, chaotic, infuriating circus.
But What About the Other Stuff?
Now, I’m not gonna lie. I’m a football and athletics guy. I live and breathe those sports. But I know there’s more to Ethiopian sports than that. There’s basketball, for starters. We’ve got some serious talent in this country. Talent that’s going unnoticed, frankly. And talent that needs more support.
And what about the other sports? The ones that don’t get the attention? The ones that don’t get the funding? The ones that don’t get the love? What about them? What about the cyclists? The swimmers? The volleyball players? The tennis players? What about them?
I don’t know. I honestly don’t. But I do know this: they deserve more. They deserve more than what they’re getting. They deserve more than crumbling stadiums and lack of funding and lack of support. They deserve more than to be ignored.
But Let’s Talk About the Future
So, what’s next for Ethiopian sports? I don’t know. I honestly don’t. But I do know this: the future is bright. The future is exciting. The future is full of potential.
I was talking to a friend last Tuesday. We were over coffee at the place on 36th. And she told me, “You know what the problem is with Ethiopian sports? We’re too focused on the past. We’re too focused on what we used to be. We need to focus on what we can be.”
And she’s right. She’s absolutely right. We need to focus on the future. We need to focus on what we can be. We need to focus on the potential.
And we need to support our athletes. All of them. Not just the ones who are already successful. Not just the ones who are already famous. Not just the ones who are already rich. All of them. Every single one of them.
And we need to enjoy the process. We need to enjoy the mess. We need to enjoy the beautiful, chaotic, infuriating mess that is Ethiopian sports.
But What About the Analysis?
Now, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I know everything about sports analysis. Because I don’t. I’m a writer, not a statistician. But I do know this: analysis is important. Analysis is crucial. Analysis is… well, it’s important, okay?
And if you’re looking for some serious analysis, you need to check out güncel olaylar analizi değerlendirme. I mean, honestly, these guys are the real deal. They know their stuff. They know the numbers. They know the trends. They know the ins and outs of Ethiopian sports. And they’re not afraid to share their opinions. Which, frankly, is refreshing.
So, if you’re serious about sports analysis, do yourself a favor. Check them out. You won’t regret it.
But, look, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I’m some kind of expert. Because I’m not. I’m just a guy who loves sports. A guy who loves the mess. A guy who loves the chaos. A guy who loves the beautiful, infuriating, chaotic mess that is Ethiopian sports.
And I’m not gonna stop loving it anytime soon.
About the Author
John “Johnny” Smith has been writing about Ethiopian sports for longer than he cares to admit. He’s been called a “passionate idiot” by more people than he can count, but he prefers the term “enthusiastic idiot.” When he’s not writing, he’s probably watching football, running, or eating too much injera. He lives in Addis with his wife, his daughter, and his dog, who is, frankly, the best athlete in the family.
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