Nicknamed the ‘Yellow Kings’ and with a huge fan base at their home town in Adigrat, Tigray, The Welwalo are joining the Premier League, a top echelon football tournament in Ethiopia, for the first time. Welwalo joned a team of few elite football clubs – Tidel, Mesebo, and Seloda as well as Guna, Trans and Mekelle City – from the State of Tigray to make notable contributions in Ethiopian football. EBR’s adjunct writer Abiy Wendifraw spoke with the club’s administrators to learn about their preparations for the soon-to-begin football season.

The excitement that engulfed Ethiopia when the men’s national football team qualified for the biggest soccer tournament in Africa four years ago is now more like a tale from a bygone era. The fans, as electrified as ever in supporting the national team, remain desperately hopeless about the team not able to make any real progress in the beautiful game. The losing streak of the team continues in recent international matches as leaders in the sport aim to take the team to the Olympics in 2020. EBR’s Abiy Wendifraw gages the sentiment of the fans and the ambition of the sports’ officials.

Eight months after Haile Gebrselassie’s election as president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF), his team is engaged in a demanding task. They are busy at strengthening the capacity of EAF. This includes attracting more sponsors to finance the athletics development projects throughout the country. The EAF was also preparing for a better result in the 2017 London IAAF World Championship. EBR’s Abiy Wendifraw spoke with the president and other stakeholders to learn about their effort to build a strong Federation and improve athletics in Ethiopia.

Boxing was introduced to Ethiopia 55 years ago. However, the game is still struggling for popularity. Had the sport got the attention it deserves, some stakeholders argue, it could have become a national success. However, Ethiopia was not even able to send a boxer to the London and Rio Olympic games due to financial constraints. The absence of local competitions is a key problem to the sport’s development. EBR’s adjunct writer Abiy Wendifraw spoke with stakeholders to learn about the current status of the game.

The first competitive motor sport was held in 1894 from Paris to Rouen and back. Since then, the sport has made it to many countries and Ethiopia was no exception. The sporting event, which primarily involve the use of motorised vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition, is now counting to its 60th anniversary in the country. Despite its long age, expanding the sports has been very challenging. EBR adjunct writer Abiy Wendifraw spoke with stakeholders to learn about the challenges that are dragging motor sports in Ethiopia.