The first challenge to Yidnekatchew
as Secretary General of the Ethiopian Sports Confederation.
Yidnekatchew’s immediate challenge as the new Secretary General of the Ethiopian Sports Confederation was securing sufficient budget for the Rome Olympic team. The Council of Minister’s did not only reject his first proposed budget of 150,000 Birr, but also surprisingly decided not to send the team; citing budgetary constraints as the reason. Yidnekatchew’s appeal for reconsideration pointed out “That after having participated in Melbourne 1956; if the Government now decides not to send a team to Rome; the act would be interpreted as unhealed ill feelings from the Italian invasion of Ethiopia; this was not helpful to the normalization of relations between the two countries. Moreover, it will hurt the morale of the Athletes, who worked so hard to represent their country in these Olympic Games”.
Again with help from General Merid Mengesha, the then Minister of Defence and President of the Sports Confederation, Yidnekatchew’s budget proposal was reconsidered and partially approved by the council of Ministers. The council decided that the boxing team and some Athletes including the legendary Mamo Wolde, be excluded from the team in order to reduce cost. Accordingly, a mere 71,000 Birr, ( Seventy one thousand Birr), was allocated for preparation, purchase of equipment and Uniforms, Air transportation as well as all expenses for the duration of the team’s stay in Rome.
Then came the beginning of the lengthy controversy with Ethiopian physical education instructors.
As if this budget constraint was not enough of a problem, Ethiopian Physical Education instructors came up with a last minute demand that they, not the Swedish coach Onni Niskannen, should travel with the team. Yidnekatchew argued:-
· Onni Niskannen was the coach of all the Athletes selected for the team. He had worked on them for a long time and had improved their performances. It is therefore counter productive to change him at the last minute.
· Onni Niskannen had taken a two month specialization course in the training of Athletes and was also a masseur. So it was not only his superior quality as a coach, but given the budget limitation, a person who could do both jobs was the appropriate choice.
The physical education instructors refused to be convinced. They countered that Ethiopian Athletes had to be trained by Ethiopian coaches; they also claimed that their College Degrees outweigh the Diplomas of Niskannen. After lengthy written and verbal arguments, Yidnekatchew finally convinced members of the Confederation’s board, to approve Niskannen’s selection. This issue could have cost him his job had Abebe Bikila not won the Marathon gold medal in Rome.
Ethiopia's Olympic delegation to Rome 1960, Niskannen standing first from right and Bikila behind him.
Legendary, Abebe Bikila returns home with Africa's first Olympic Gold Medal.
Great cyclist Geremew Denboba returns with a broken hand subsequent to an accident during the race at the Rome Olympics.
Left to right; B.General Mengistu Neway, then Commander of the Imperial Body Guard, Marathon legend Abebe Bikila, Defence Minister and Board Chairman of the Sports Confederation, Lt. General Merid Mengesha, Delegation leader and Secretary General of the Sports Confederation, Yidnekatchew Tessema.
Celebrating Abebe's victory.
When preparations started for the Tokyo Olympics four years later, Physical education instructors came up with the same demand again. However, at this point, Yidnekatchew was not alone; marathon hero Abebe Bikila declared that he preferred Onni Niskannen and the issue was resolved for good.
Only two months before the Tokyo Olympics, Abebe had to be operated for appendicitis. Vengeful physical education instructors complained that Yidnekatchew and Onni Niskannen should have postponed the operation until the end of the Olympic Games!! A medical committee set up by the Government to investigate their allegation did not take time to conclude that even a one day delay could have killed the Marathon legend. In the end Abebe was not only cured, but won the Marathon in Tokyo only two months after he underwent the surgery.
These two consecutive Olympic victories proved Yidnekatchew’s judgment correct; all Ethiopian Olympic heroes of those days came from the Imperial Body Guard Sports Club of which the coach was always Major Onni Niskannen. Both Abebe Bikila, the winner of two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals at the Rome and Tokyo Olympic Games and Mamo Wolde, the winner of Gold in the Marathon and Silver in the ten thousand In Mexico 68 as well as Bronze in the Marathon in Munich 72 were from the Imperial Body Guard and trained by Onni Niskannen.
The instructors on the other hand, could not produce a single Olympic standard Athlete from all the schools and the University, of which they were the coaches for decades. Thus, even on the retirement of Major Niskannen, Yidnekatchew gave the huge responsibility to juniors Negussie Roba and Dr. Wolde Meskel Kostre, who specialized in the training of Athletes. These two Ethiopian coaches have registered unparalleled results in the Olympics and other important International middle distance races. Dr. Wolde Meskel is to this day a highly respected senior coach of Ethiopian Athletic teams.
Renowned National Athletic coaches
Negussie Roba and Dr. Wolde Maskal Kostre.
The above was the beginning of the two decades long misunderstanding between the first generation of Ethiopian physical education instructors and Yidnekatchew Tessema. Click here to listen to a typical one hour long Amharic AUDIO reply by Yidnekatchew Tessema, to criticisms by physical education instructors; at a public gathering in the auditorium of the then Young Men Christian Association, on Miazia 18 1961 Ethiopian Calendar♪.
Other controversial issues of his days.
Saint George & Yidnekatchew
Scepticism on Yidnekatchew's role as Manager of both Saint George and the National teams was a subject of lengthy arguments, some clubs and a good number of their supporters used to complain that his complete authority in the Federation had given Saint George special advantages. On the other hand, Saint George players believed they were disadvantaged as a result of his excessive scruples.
Yidnekatchew explained that he was elected, not self appointed, and would therefore continue to work for both, until such time one or the other, or both, voted him out of office. He argued that in view of the prevalent shortage of trained manpower in Ethiopian football, it was necssary to give simultaneous free services to a club and the National team. As regards favouritism, he always asked sceptics to look back at the Ethiopian team that won the third Africa Cup of Nations as an example; he pointed out that the only player from Saint George was legendary Mengistu Worku. It is not in my nature to select players for the National team only because they are from Saint George. Despite these explanations and more importantly the fact that only the teams that were the best in the season had won the National Club Championships Cup during his days, the accusations continued for a long time.
Expulsion of Military teams from the National football league.
The controversy was further exasperated when the Federation decided to exclude military teams from the National league. Though there was visible and alarming violence, as well as evidence of arrests and intimidations of referees, by high ranking members of the Police, the Imperial Body Guard and the Army, some stubbornly understood the decision as a deliberate ploy to give monopoly of the cup to Saint George.
During a meeting with high ranking military officials, at the Africa Hall, Yidnekatchew listed all dangerous incidents observed in the recent past and appealed to the officials to accept his proposal for the sake of sports and peace; but a good number of the participants were not convinced, they argued violence in sports happens in many other countries and should not therefore be a reason to exclude Police and Military teams.
His reply to this argument was simple; in other countries violence in sports is controlled by the Police and the Army, but in Ethiopia the violence was between Police and Army, Police and Civilians, Army and Civilians, thus those who should control the violence are part of the violence.
During these difficult times in Ethiopian football, Yidnekatchew was very grateful to the understanding and consistent support from the Minister of Defence Gen Merid Mengesha, Commander of the Air Force, Major General Assefa Ayene and high Government Official, Col. Tamirat Yigezu. The decision to exclude Army and Police Clubs from the National Football league was finally issued in writing by General Merid Mengesha.
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