By ERIC OLOO
The Kenya family of US Democratic presidential {www:candidate} Barack Obama has halted all media engagements until after the US presidential election on November 4 .
The move has been taken to give Obama’s paternal grandmother, Mama Sarah Onyango Obama a break, according to a family member Mr Said Obama.
In the recent past, a battery of local and international journalists have been visiting the {www:home} on a daily basis to seek interviews from the 85-year old granny.
But Mr Said Obama said the family would open up to the media on November 5, a day after the elections.
And on Wednesday, Siaya District police chief Mr Johnston Ipara said security officers would restrict entry to the home to ensure the family privacy is guaranteed
“People who {www:visit} the family’s home in K’Ogelo will be restrained from conducting interviews to the family members,” he said
Mr Ipara added the move was taken to ensure that people, especially the media, do not pre-empt the outcome of the US elections by using comments from the family members.
“We do not want Mama Sarah Obama to be disturbed at the {www:moment} she needs time to monitor the elections as they unfold,” said Ipara.
He said all visitors to the home would be thoroughly screened by the police before being allowed in.
Obamamania
Meanwhile, Obamamania continued to grip Kisumu town and its environs as hawkers cashed in on the craze to sell branded T-shirts, caps and badges.
Dancehalls have also recorded a high number of songs recorded in vernacular languages in praise of the US presidential candidate whose father was Kenyan.
Source: The Daily Nation
By Carl Little, The Washington Post
NEW YORK – Solomon Haile, an immigrant from Ethiopia, won the Manhattan Invitational yesterday in New York and set a course record.
The Sherwood High School senior finished the 2.5-mile course at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx in 12 minutes 6. 61 seconds, breaking the record by three seconds. Sherwood finished third in the Varsity E division with 210 points. La Salle (R.I.) Academy (141 points) won the meet.
“I pushed myself, and I broke the record,” Haile said. “I’m happy for that.”
By BILL KOPATICH, The Des Moines Register
Talk centered around the expected battle between Robyn Friedman and Erin Moeller for the women’s title heading into the 20-kilometer Dam to Dam race today. It turns out neither Friedman nor Moeller had a say in who the winner would be.
Ethiopian Belainesh Gebre, a late entrant, made sure of that by winning in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 33 seconds. Moeller finished second in 1:13:02 and Friedman third in 1:13:19.
“I had good training going into the race,” Gebre said.
Added William Kosgei, who translated part of the interview for Gebre: “She feels really good about beating two really good runners in Erin and Robyn. She feels winning this race is a reward for her extensive training.”
Matthew Chesang won the men’s 20k race for the second consecutive year.
Chesang, who clocked in at 1:01:53, credited today’s mild weather conditions with helping him shave more than 2 minutes off last year’s winning time.\
“The weather was a lot better this year,” said Chesang, from Olathe, Kan. “Last year, the weather was chilly and a little bit windy. That made a difference of about 2 or 3 minutes.”
Chesang had to use a strong kick during the final 200 yards to edge Ezkyas Sisay of Flagstaff, Ariz., by 9 seconds.
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“The competition this year was tougher than it was last year,” Chesang said. “I like that because it makes the race more challenging.”
Gebre said she pulled away from the two favorites early in the race. Friedman was the defending champion and has staged a friendly rivalry over the years with Moeller, a fellow Iowan.
“From the start, she knew she could win this race,” Kosgei said. “She started fast and didn’t look back.”
Chesang said he and Sisay started pulling away during the seventh mile of the 12.4-mile race.
“By the eighth mile, it was just us two out front,” Chesang said.
Chesang sought out Sisay and shook hands with him after they crossed the finish line.
“I don’t know (Ezkyas),” Chesang said. “I shook hands with him because I thought he ran a good race.”
Kristy Feldman of West Des Moines recorded a time of 18:30 to win the 5-kilometer race for the fourth time. 15-year-old Evan Selsor of Winterset won the men’s 5k race in 16:29.
Today’s 29th running of the Dam to Dam featured a record number of participants, more than 8,200, according to race official Cal Murdock. The Dam to Dam features a 20-kilometer race, a 5k race and a children’s race.
Temperatures in the 60s at the race’s start and a light breeze provided ideal weather conditions.
“It was warm for running, but a perfect day for the last day of May,” Murdock said. “The Dam to Dam is turning into Iowa’s premier distance race.”
Today’s turnout smashed the old record of 6,500 last year.
“The Dam to Dam has caught everyone’s attention,” Murdock said. “The word has gotten out about the race.”
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- The Ethiopian Olympic Committee (EOC) at a ceremony on Sunday (25) honoured the country’s Olympic medallists and five individuals for their contributions to the Olympic movement.
Those honoured:
Olympic medallists Posthumously – Abebe Bikila, Mamo Wolde
Present at ceremony – Miruts Yifter, Eshetu Tura, Addis Abebe, Fita Bayissa, Gete Wami, Million Wolde, Assefa Mezgebu, Tesfaye Tola, Meseret Defar, Ejegayehou Dibaba,
Absent from ceremony – Derartu Tulu, Fatuma Roba, Haile Gebrselassie, Gezhagne Abera, Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Tirunesh Dibaba
Contributions to the Olympic movement
The five individuals are: Dr. Woldemeskel Kostre (Coach), Fikrou Kidane (Journalist/Administrator/Advisor), Yidnekachew Tessema (Administrator), Ayalew Tilahun (Medical), and Demessie Damte (Journalist)
At the ceremony held at the Sheraton Addis, the awardees were each presented golden placards in recognition of their performances and their outstanding performances. The ceremony was attended by the country’s head of state President Girma Woldegiorgis and head of government Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
In his keynote address, Woldegiorgis said of the medallists, “They have made the country proud. They are ambassadors of the country in the field of international sport and have raised the country’s national flag on the world’s stage. We are all proud of them.”
A special award was also presented to Shekih Mohammed Alamoudi, Africa’s only Fortune-500 Billionaire and Ethiopia’s most affluent man, for his contribution to the development of Ethiopian sport.
On a night that doubled as a fundraising event to raise money for Ethiopia’s Olympic participation in Beijing in August this year, Alamoudi was the largest contributor of the evening with ETB 5million (around USD 535,000). The EOC raised over ETB 13.5 million (USD 1.44 million) exceeding its target USD 11 million (1.18 million) in just under three hours of aggressive fund-raising.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
The 1996 Atlanta Olympic’s 10,000 metres champion Derartu Tulu “has joined a star-studded women’s field for this weekend’s office furniture in BulgariamebeliBupa Great Manchester Run,” according to the Press Association.
Derartu, who currently resides in Addis Ababa, had been on maternity and injury-related leave for several years.
At the Manchester 10k, she will face “several overseas stars aiming to win the 10 kilometres road race,” PA reports.
“Deraratu will be up against world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba, Rose Cheruiyot – runner-up in the recent Bupa Great Edinburgh Run – and former Flora London Marathon winner Margaret Okaya.”
