With continent's legends gathered, African Athletics Hall of Fame launched in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - An array of distinguished African athletics talent, the like of which had never been gathered in one place before, assembled here Tuesday (29) night to launch a hall of fame marking the continent’s rich history. From the son of Abebe Bikila, through the likes of Kip Keino, Miruts Yifter and Frankie Fredericks, to present-day stars such as Meseret Defar, Tirunesh Dibaba and Haile Gebrselassie, the occasion overflowed with star quality.

Of the 75 athletes inducted at the first “African Hall of Fame Gala”, 37 were present to receive their awards in the city’s Sheraton Hotel. Described as a night to mark almost 50 years of the continent’s success, from the first Olympic gold medal won by an African in 1960, courtesy of Bikila in the men’s Marathon, tributes came thick and fast from leading dignitaries.

To qualify for the Hall of Fame athletes had to fit one or more of three categories: Olympic gold medallist, World champion, or World record breaker. But, as Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, the President of the Confederation of African Athletics, said: “For some of you here, it may be all of the above.”

Host nation's Prime Minister pays tribute

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, H.E. Meles Zenawi, in attendance, paid enormous tribute to the athletes, saying: “How very proud I am to be among the cream of the cream of Africans. You, the athletes of today and yesterday, have made it when Africa as a whole effectively has failed.

“You have almost single-handedly held the banner of Africa high and everyone should be proud to be among you today. We are elated that we have finally come to recognise your heroic deeds.

“This is belated recognition, way too late, but as the British say: ‘Better late than never’. I very much hope that, in the coming years, you will not be alone in shouldering the burden of keeping Africa’s flag flying.”

In a filmed message, Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee, said: “I would have liked to be there for this first ever African Athletics Gala. Allow me to congratulate President Kalkaba Malboum for this splendid initiative.”

Among the other leading athletes present were: Mohamed Gammoudi, Tunisia’s 1968 Olympic 5000m champion; Kenya’s John Ngugi, 1988 Olympic 5000m gold medallist and five times World Cross Country champion; Abdi Bile, Somalia’s 1987 World 1500m champion; Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia’s 1992 and 2000 Olympic 5000m champion; Maria Mutola, Mozambique’s triple World and 2000 Olympic 800m champion.

Ngugi said that he was “very happy and proud to be here”. Gebrselassie described the occasion as “a wonderful night – I have never seen so many big names gathering, especially here in my home town.” Keino said that he was “very honoured”. But the most moving comments came from Yetnayet Abebe, son of Bikila.

Bikila fondly remembered

Guests at the Gala, held on the eve of the 16th African Championships here, were shown film of Bikila winning his 1960 and 1964 Olympic gold medals. The footage noted in particular how Bikila, apparently still fresh after his second triumph, launched into a series of stretching exercises on the infield of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

When Bikila died in 1973, aged 41, his funeral in Addis was attended by 65,000 people. Collecting the award on his behalf, Yetnayet said: “I cannot explain my feelings because of the emotion. I wish he had been alive to see this night.” A display of 126 photographs marking Bikila’s career is currently on display in the Addis Ababa Museum.

Noting that Bikila had been the athlete who started the whole thing off, President Kalkaba Malboum added: “We are all proudly meeting on the native land of this worthy son of Africa…to celebrate these exploits and to pay homage to these sons and daughters who are the pride of our continent.”

Lamine Diack, the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, said that Africa has grown to become an athletics superpower, noting not only the athletes’ success at Olympics and IAAF World Championships but the four victories achieved by the men’s team in the IAAF World Cup. “Every year many new African stars emerge and it is appropriate that we should acknowledge the continent’s regular individual and team successes.”