Category: Sports

Meet Biniam Ghirmay, a 22 years old Eritrean cyclist who won a silver medal at the World Cycling Championship of 2021, the first black African to have ever won at the competition.

• It’s a pleasure to have you here, Biniam. Please introduce yourself.

The pleasure is mine, thank you. born and raised in Ghejeret, Asmara. I started my cycling competition in 2013 and have been practicing and competing ever since. I joined the cycling club Asbeko in 2015 and stayed there for three years until 2018. I then got a scholarship to UCI in 2018 and continued my professional journey.

• You competed with big cycling stars before the grand success you achieved on September 18. Did such competitions boost your confidence?

They definitely boosted my confidence and my hope. I said to myself that if I could compete with big stars and champions and beat them, then I felt I would definitely be a champion. My participation in small and big competitions made me believe more in myself and helped me concentrate and focus more on the world championship.

• Did you expect to get a medal at the world championship?

I clearly remember discussing this with my team last year. We were basically just saying, “If we can keep on moving like this, why not then?” We were hopeful and determined that we could be like the champions. Winning is obviously the wish of every sportsman, but I kept on pushing myself more to at least be in the top five categories. So I was expecting it as I was determined to be at the top.

• We know that the last kilometer or half a kilometer is a very crucial part of the race that determines your result. How were you able to position yourself well at that moment? and What was the atmosphere like?

I’d say the challenging part was the last ten kilometers. Those who positioned themselves at the front for the last ten kilometers were able to finish first. The last one kilometer was the most crucial. It’s usually easier if it’s a straight way as you won’t even need to push one another. But it won’t be easy if the road has so many curves because you can’t all turn at once at the curves as you might end up falling. I was first when we had only one kilometer to get to the finish line, but at the 500-meter mark, there was a left turn we had to make where I bumped into another cyclist and finished second. I then had to take more risk in the last 300 meters to get the medal.

• Eritrean cyclists are known for their exquisite ability to climb during competitions. It isn’t common to see Eritrean sprinters. But you have now proved to be one of the best sprinters. Where did you get it from; how were you able to be a winner?

Yes, Eritrean cyclists are known as climbers. But I think I was able to be good at sprinting because I focused on it a lot. When I first went to UCI, they evaluated my performance and saw that I was good at sprinting. It has been almost four years since I started working particularly on sprint. I’ve focused more on sprint and started working on it from the very beginning.

• Around five big cycling clubs wanted to have you after it was known that you would be leaving Delko club. But what made you choose your new club, Intermarche?

The first reason I joined Intermarche was because it is a club known for sprinting. So, as a sprinter, I feel it is probably the team I need. I figured my chances of being successful are high with that club. And also it’s a club that races in the World Tour category. Clubs that compete in the World Tour category are at the top in terms of their finance, their athletes, and everything else. So I made a contract to stay with that club for three and a half years, until 2024.

• Do you think the medal will now affect your new team’s attitude toward you?

I think so. It’s the first medal to be won by a black African at one of the biggest cycling competitions in the world. I think it will make them believe in me more. I’m not saying they don’t because when they first choose you, they obviously see potential in you and are willing to work with you. But this achievement is helping me move a step, and I think they, too, see it.

• I’m so curious to know how you were able to achieve such great success in a very short period of time…

This is not only my achievement; my club and teammates have helped me a lot. There are, of course, sacrifices that you have to make to reach your goal and get better and better. I’ve worked and practiced nonstop and that has helped me make progress. You can always be great if you put a lot of effort into what you are doing.

• I’ve heard that your father was a cycling fan and that your older brother was a cyclist. Did they influence you to be a cyclist?

To be honest, I wasn’t a big cycling fan at the beginning. I started to get curious when my brother bought a bicycle as it was different from the ordinary bicycles I usually saw. Also, Eritrean cyclists started to become famous and more successful around 2012 and 2013, which added up to my excitement. And I have been in love with cycling ever since. My father was happy as he was a fan and bought me a bike for 250 thousand Nakfa. I was so shocked and kind of nervous when I heard that. But I was also determined more to make my father proud and show him that it was worth it.

• You are married at such a young age and you are already a father. How are you balancing the two big responsibilities, your career and taking care of your family?

I’m honestly so happy to have a career and a family of my own at a young age. I don’t have any family pressure as we are always supporting each other. My family even keeps on pushing me to focus on my career. I have their support and that’s enough. If you are open-minded, there’s nothing that can stop you from being whoever you want to be, even if it means doing multiple things. I’m able to provide the necessities for my family.

• Any other remarks at the end…

I’m so thankful for the support of my family and friends. Their support means a lot. I’m also grateful to my team and my club. I hope to have more success and make my people and my country proud.

Thank you!

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

When 21-year-old professional cyclist Biniam Ghirmay beat world athletes in the under-23 men’s road race in Belgium to become the first black African to win a medal in the world championship, Eritreans were flooded with pride. The pride has been extensively written and talked about in the media, on the streets, and in tearooms. Throughout history sport and national identity have been inseparably linked. A national team or an individual athlete in international arenas represents an entire nation and gives pride to members of their nation.

On Saturday, 9 October, President Issaias Afwerki received the victorious national cycling team in Adi Halo and on behalf of the Government donated 15 million Nakfa for the development of the sport. At the welcoming ceremony, President Issaias congratulated the team and described their victory as “a pride to the people and nation.” The colorful welcoming celebration was a clear sign of excitement and pride felt by Eritreans. Upon arrival at Asmara International Airport, the national team was accorded a warm welcome by sports officials and athletes, and it was greeted and applauded by thousands of people lining the main streets of Asmara as the national team’s motorcade passed by.

Eritrea, a young developing country, has been making major strides in cycling. It has produced world-class athletes who have won world championships and wore King of the Mountain jersey in the Tour de France. It has been able to showcase its potential in sport. The recent outstanding victory has received the attention of commentators and news outlets. In his article titled ‘Biniam Girmay: World’s silver is for Eritrea and for Africa,’ Patrick Fletcher wrote that “Biniam Girmay hailed a landmark moment for Eritrea and all of Africa after winning the silver medal in the U23 men’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships.” Biniam Ghirmay is the first black African to podium at the cycling world championships. In another article titled ‘Biniam Girmay: A black African rider will win a Grand Tour stage soon,’ Alessandro Poggi wrote that “The 21-year-old sprinted to silver in the under-23 men’s road race at the world’s championship in Belgium to become the first black African to win a medal in the competition and cement Eritrea’s reputation as Africa’s leading cycling nation.”

Alessandro Poggi’s opinion that Eritrea is maintaining its reputation as Africa’s leading cycling nation is a good observation. Through the victory in the world championship, Eritrea has also been able to showcase its overall national stature. Tesfaldet Mebrahtu, a sports journalist of Hadas Ertra, also wrote an illuminating article titled ‘Biniam will return to Asmara on Saturday with his silver medal’ in the Tigrinya newspaper. He wrote “only nine countries, including Eritrea, have received the Gold and Silver medals. Generally, there have been 33 medals (gold, silver, and copper) that have been won by 14 countries: Eritrea from Africa, the USA from North America, Australia from Oceania and eleven countries from Europe.” Many Eritreans living in Europe traveled to Belgium to give their support to the Eritrean Cycling team. Biniam acknowledged the contribution of the Eritrean fans by saying “Listening to the encouraging voices of Eritreans and seeing them waving our national flag is a big deal.”

Sport has been described as a valuable means and an alternative medium to showcase a country’s national identity. In this sense, the national team of Eritrea symbolizes the whole country and through their excellence, the athletes demonstrate the nation’s pride. The national team, in general, and Biniam, in particular, have made history for Eritreans and Africans as a whole. In the post-race press conference, Biniam said, “This means a lot for me, for my nation and for Africa…I am really happy. I am really proud of my nation, so I say congrats to all Eritreans and also to all Africans.”

Sport is at par with public diplomacy. Public diplomacy seeks to promote the national interest of a country by informing and influencing foreign audiences. In Eritrea, where public diplomacy has an equal weight with formal or traditional diplomacy, many activities that seek to advance the interests of Eritrea are undertaken by individual Eritreans and organizations. Sport can serve as a means of correcting misconceptions and creating positive perceptions about Eritrea. In this sense, sport is a public good and its development is crucial for the development of the country.

Through sports, Eritrea will have an opportunity to win in the battle for hearts and minds. For this reason, the Government has been taking various initiatives to develop and manage sports better at the national level. Currently, sport is administered under the auspices of the Commission of Culture and Sport. Acknowledging the huge potential of sports to contribute toward peace, diplomacy, and development, Eritrea is participating in various regional, continental and international contests.

Today, there exists a strong acceptance of sports as an important enabler of sustainable development. For example, Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has emerged as an important sector of international development. This initiative with strong interest and a commitment to continue using sport as a unique tool to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is gaining the attention of planners and decision-makers. Many countries have recognized sports’ growing contribution to the development and tend to integrate sports in the framework of achieving SDGs. They recognize the growing contribution of sport for the realization of development and peace, promotion of tolerance and respect, and the empowerment of young people. In Eritrea, sports can serve as a new engine in advancing various dimensions of development.

Cycling is a popular means of transportation in Eritrea and contributes to sustainable livelihoods, a better environment, improved health, and overall improvement in the quality of life of Eritreans. Cycling is popular and the pathways to the professional ranks are widening from time to time. In Eritrea, cycling is a game, sports activity, and culture. The American cycling coach, Jock Boyer, has once said “Eritrea is the only African country that has such deep roots in cycling. It’s a deep-seated culture. Every young kid in the country has tried cycling to see if they can make it onto a team. They’re highly motivated and dedicated.” Eritrea proved itself as a cycling giant nation. Eritrean riders have reached a peak to become champions at international grand tours.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

NAIROBI— Kenya confirmed its bid to host the 2025 Athletics World Championships, which if accepted, would bring the event to Africa for the first time.

Nairobi has hosted both the world under-18 and under-20 World Championships in the last four years, but faces a string of high-profile rivals including Tokyo, which staged the Olympic Games in July.

“We formally confirmed our bid to host the global championships on Friday October 1 which was the deadline set by World Athletics,” Athletics Kenya chief Jackson Tuwei said.

“We organised two very successful world junior championships at the Kasarani stadium in 2017 and in August 2021, where a number of world records and personal bests were realised,” he said.

“We learnt a lot of lessons in staging both events, and realistically it is our time to bring the biggest event.”

Over the years, Kenya has become one of the countries to have produced the most successful long-distance runners, but has yet to see the World Championships elite runners perform in the country.

Africa has never hosted the World Athletics (WA) premier showpiece, which was first contested in Helsinki, Finland in 1983.

Kenyan sports minister Amina Mohammed first announced the country’s bid for the 2025 world championships in Doha in September 2019, after WA said the global event would be held on a rotational basis across continents.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Biniam Girmay hailed a landmark moment for Eritrea and all of Africa after winning the silver medal in the U23 men’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships. The rising starburst is clear of a reduced bunch to place second in Leuven, just a couple of seconds after solo winner Filippo Baroncini. In doing so, he made history, becoming the first Eritrean and the first black African to win a medal at the Road World Championships.

“For me, for my nation, also for Africa, this means a lot,” Girmay said as his section of the post-race press conference outlasted that of the world champion to his left.

“I’m really happy. I’m really proud of my nation, so I say congrats to all Eritreans and also to all Africans.”

Girmay nodded his head sharply as he crossed the line, which at first looked like a show of frustration. He had been the fastest in the reduced bunch, only thwarted by a solo attacker, but it soon became clear that there wasn’t a hint of disappointment.

He sank to the tarmac and was mobbed by his teammates and staff, and could no doubt hear – if not see – the flag-laden Eritrean fans in Leuven.

“Yesterday I called my family, and they told me to remember when I was a kid,” he revealed. “My father said to me ‘hopefully you will become one of the biggest riders in all the world, you will be world champion’. So I was on the phone with my father and my whole family, and they said ‘for sure you can do it and take a medal’.

“I say thank you for all my family. They supported me. They give me really good motivation, every single day. When I was starting my sprint, I was a bit nervous but I was also thinking just to get one of the medals. Not to win – just to finish top three and I did it. I am happy with my place.”

Girmay has been touted as a big talent but his journey to the top of the sport is far from straightforward. Cycling is popular in Eritrea but in terms of pathways to the professional ranks, it lags far behind cycling’s European heartlands.

“I’m from the capital city Asmara. That’s the cycling zone in Eritrea,” Girmay said, explaining his roots. “Every Sunday there’s a race, and all the people who like cycling give you a lot of advice. I started when I was 12 years old, at school. I rode mountain bike but then I also started road racing when I was 15.”

Girmay’s big break was an invite to the UCI’s World Cycling Centre, to which he says he owes a big debt of gratitude. The WCC is an initiative of the sport’s governing body to develop riders from backgrounds that may ordinarily prevent them from reaching the pro ranks, housing them in Switzerland and offering structured training and access to races.

“I raced a lot of races with them and gained a lot of good experience. When you’re young, you come to Europe and you see the peloton – big peloton – and a lot of tactics. Mentally and physically, I grew at the World Cycling Centre. “After I won the African Continental Championships – in the Time Trial and the road race – the UCI invited me, so I joined them in 2018 and stayed until the end of 2019. It was really important – one of the most important things,” Girmay said.

“It means a lot to me because I went to Europe in 2018 and every year, with every step, every new experience, I learn a lot. It has worked today.”

Girmay then signed his first professional contract with the French Delko team for 2020, and he immediately made his mark, winning two stages of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon. He went on to finish runner-up behind Giulio Ciccone at Trofeo Laigueglia, then to Loic Vliegen at Tour du Doubs, as well as picking up four podiums at the Tour du Rwanda and fourth at the Giro della Toscana.

Interest rocketed, World Tour teams started circling, and, as Delko found themselves in financial and administrative trouble this year, a mid-season transfer to World Tour outfit Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux was organized for the start of August. He quickly set about winning the GP Besançon Doubs – his first professional victory on European soil.

“When I joined this team I was super happy. I think it’s a good team. It’s not only a team but a family,” he said. “I also say thank you to them for giving me the opportunity and supporting me the past few months. I joined halfway through the season but they gave me the chance immediately to sprint for the win.”

Girmay signed a long-term deal with the Belgian team and recently relocated to Lucca, Italy, where there’s a sizeable contingent of Eritrean riders. He signed through 2024 – a sign of how highly rated he is – in which time he hopes to hone his skills as a versatile sprinter and start winning bigger and bigger races.

“For now, I’m really looking at the Classics, also some hilly races with a sprint,” he said. “This is my best capacity so I’m working for this to be faster in the bunch sprints and on the small uphills. I also want to show the next few years that I can be one of the big riders.

“When I was little, I liked sprinters. I wouldn’t say he’s my hero, but I like Peter Sagan, not only for his cycling but also outside of cycling. He’s really funny and easy-going.”

The future appears very bright indeed for Girmay but he is also aware of the potential impact of his silver medal not just in the next few years, or even the rest of his career, but for decades and generations to come.

“In Eritrea our future is bright,” he said. “We have really good potential. It’s not just from the last years, it’s longer.”

“We will get more experience, and progress every day mentally and physically. There is a really good future, I think.”

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

The 21-year-old emerged from the swirling chaos of the bunch in the final meters of Friday’s U23 men’s road race at the world championships to make history.

Scything his way through rider after rider, finally dropping Olev Kooij (Netherlands) shortly before the line, he dashed to the silver medal just behind Italy’s Filippo Baroncini, and became the first rider from Eritrea to win a road world championship medal.

“For me, for my nation, and also for Africans, it means a lot to have this medal. I’m really proud of my nation,” Ghirmay said in his post-race press conference in Leuven. “I have to say congratulations to all of Eritrea and all Africans.

“My family said to me, for sure you can take a medal,” he said. “I say thank you to my family who have supported me, they give me really good motivation every single day.

“When I started the sprint, I was a bit nervous, but I was just thinking of getting one of the medals. I did it, so I’m happy with my place.”

Eritrean cyclists have been on the up and up within the European peloton since Daniel Teklehaimanot became the first cyclist from the country to compete at the Olympic Games and ride a grand tour in 2012.

There are now four riders from the African country riding at WorldTour level — a small number compared to many of the European nations, but no mean feat given the logistical challenges many from the African continent face.

Behind these four is a growing number of promising talents rising through the ranks, and Ghirmay doesn’t want his result to be an anomaly but a sign of what’s to come.

“I hope we can do even better than this, maybe after this second in the next few years it will be the rainbow jersey,” Ghirmay said. “I think the future is bright for Eritrean riders. We have really good potential and a good future. It is not just in the last years but for a long time.

“We are getting more experience and we are progressing physically and mentally every day and we keep working and fighting to be at WorldTour level,” he said. “This has been happening for a long time and I am happy to see myself in this group. There is a really good future over the next years.”

Becoming a classics man

Ghirmay picked up cycling as a pre-teen, initially racing on the mountain bike before discovering his talents on the road.

He made his name as a future cycling star when he took a clean sweep of the African national championships in 2018. After helping his country to the team time trial relay, he romped to the individual TT title by almost a minute and then won the road race title from a two-up sprint.

“I am from the capital Asmara. It is the cycling zone in Eritrea and every Sunday there is a race,” Ghirmay said. “I started when I was 12 years old with a school of racing and then I rode mountain bike and also I started road racing when I was 15 years old.

“I came to Europe in 2018 with the UCI [World Cycling Center]. After I won the African continental championships, they invited me to race internationally. I did a lot of races with them and gained a lot of experience. It means a lot for me because I went to Europe in 2018, every year and every step, and every new experience, I learned a lot and it worked well today.”

Ghirmay is the newest of the Eritrean WorldTour group after signing for the Belgian Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert last month. He started his tenure at the team with eighth place in the opening stage of the Tour of Poland.

His first win for them came soon afterward at the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs after he made it into a group of attackers that included Thibaut Pinot and Nairo Quintana.

Most Eritrean riders that have turned professional have been strong climbers — little surprise given the country’s capital is over 2,300m above sea level — but Ghirmay is from a different mold.

His silver medal in Flanders is proof of his talents as a sprinter and he wants to develop that talent as well as become a good classics rider, like one of his favorite riders, Peter Sagan.

“For now, I am really looking forward to the classics races and some hilly races,” he said. “I think my sprint is the best capacity I have, so I am working on becoming faster in the bunch sprints and the small uphills.”

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online

Cycling has been a main sport in Eritrea since 1939. Since independence, Eritrea had become a cycling powerhouse in Africa, dominating the African championship eight times in both genders. As cycling is such a popular sport amongst Eritreans, the Eritrean community in Manchester decided to host an Eritrean cycling festival, intending to celebrate Eritrean cyclists, some who have competed for generations and to inspire children in diaspora. The event was organised by Biniam Asmelash, one of Eritrea’s cyclists with other fellow cyclists such as Samuel Zekarias (Halabay) Carmello Salbini, Beyene Simon, Tesfalidet Hayelom, Fissehatzion Gebreyesus, FreQalsi Debesay, Wedi Hidray, Fetsum Gilom (Wedi Gilom), Amanuel Yigzaw, Amanuel Mesfen, Biniam Eyob, Amanuel Isac, R. Mazzola and many more, that have participated in the All African Games, Olympics, World Championships and other prominent competitions.

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online

Scientists have found evidence of a resistant form of malaria in Uganda, a worrying sign that the top drug used against the parasitic disease could ultimately be rendered useless without more action to stop its spread.

Researchers in Uganda analyzed blood samples from patients treated with artemisinin, the primary medicine used for malaria in Africa in combination with other drugs. They found that by 2019, nearly 20% of the samples had genetic mutations, suggesting the treatment was ineffective. Lab tests showed it took much longer for those patients to get rid of the parasites that cause malaria.

Drug-resistant forms of malaria were previously detected in Asia, and health officials have been nervously watching for any signs in Africa, which accounts for more than 90% of the world’s malaria cases. Some isolated drug-resistant strains of malaria have previously been seen in Rwanda.

“Our findings suggest a potential risk of cross-border spread across Africa,” the researchers wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine, which published the study Wednesday.

The drug-resistant strains emerged in Uganda rather than being imported from elsewhere, they reported. They examined 240 blood samples over three years.

Malaria is spread by mosquito bites and kills more than 400,000 people every year, mostly children under 5 and pregnant women.

Resistance has ‘a foothold’

Dr. Philip Rosenthal, a professor of medicine at the University of California- San Francisco, said that the new findings in Uganda, after past results in Rwanda, “prove that resistance really now has a foothold in Africa.”

Rosenthal, who was not involved in the new study, said it was likely there was undetected drug resistance elsewhere on the continent. He said drug-resistant versions of malaria emerged in Cambodia years ago and have now spread across Asia. He predicted a similar path for the disease in Africa, with deadlier consequences given the burden of malaria on the continent.

Dr. Nicholas White, a professor of tropical medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok, described the new paper’s conclusions about emerging malaria resistance as “unequivocal.”

“We basically rely on one drug for malaria, and now it’s been hobbled,” said White, who also wrote an accompanying editorial in the Journal.

He suggested that instead of the standard approach, where one or two other drugs are used in combination with artemisinin, doctors should now use three, as is often done in treating tuberculosis and HIV.

White said public health officials need to act to stem drug-resistant malaria, by beefing up surveillance and supporting research into new drugs, among other measures.

“We shouldn’t wait until the fire is burning to do something, but that is not what generally happens in global health,” he said, citing the failures to stop the coronavirus pandemic as an example.

Source: Voice of America