The Olympic Games, originally scheduled to take place in August 2020, was postponed due to the pandemic, leaving athletes around the world stranded and out of work, unable to train and exercise. One of the biggest sporting events in the world brings athletes and spectators alike together, with an abounding sense of national pride.
The 2020 Summer Olympics was the upcoming international multi-sport event where Ethiopia will be represented in athletics, boxing and Taekwondo events. Similar to athletes around the world, Ethiopian athletes, predominantly earning there leaving from participating in events, have been hit hard, with the mental side of the pandemic yet to be assessed. The Ethiopian Olympic Committee (EOC) has been preparing various initiatives in order to support the Olympic team.
A couple of months ago, in collaboration with Sports Commission and the Government, the EOC has been conducting several programs aimed at building an Olympic Village. According to the EOC president Ashebir Woldegiorgis (MD), there is a plan to raise funds amounting to three billion birr, to build an Olympic village.
“The Olympic village is going to be constructed and will rest on 110,000 sq.km plot of land,” Ashebir said.
In addition, the committee’s chairperson Abadula Gemeda said that there are program’s aimed at expanding the Olympic Village to regional states.
The new project was proposed to be constructed after the Prime Minister first planned to have a fund raising program in the national palace. Following this initiative, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) awarded Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with the highest African recognition, the “ANOCA ORDER OF MERIT,” for his exemplary commitment to sports and the Olympic Movement.
In other news, the EOC is preparing to build an Olympic museum in Addis Ababa. The Reporter has learnt that in the coming days, the IOC is going to have a fund raiser at the Office of the Prime Minster. The EOC also pointed out the Ethiopian delegates it will send to Qatar, in order to share experience. The delegate is also going to discuss with Abiy, on the overall museum design, as well as relative issues.
The Olympic Museum, which was opened in 1993 in Ouchy, a district of Lausanne is considered as an example.
