Marathon Nation: Ultimate Breeder of Global Elite Athletes
Oromo elite athletes have won three marathons in just one week: The Rotterdam Marathon, The Boston Marathon and The London Marathon. Can we call them Oromo athletes, Ethiopian athletes or both? Does it diminish their success if we recognize who they are?
Other than obviously running representing Ethiopia officially, at least until Oromia's freedom, what do the winners of the Rotterdam, the Boston and the London elite men's marathons have in common? Tilahun Regassa, Lelisa Desisa and Tsegaye H/Wordofa all come from the Oromo nation, Oromia, the ultimate breeder of long-distance elite athletes both in men's and women's divisions. These athletes are the jewels of not only the Oromo whom they come from, but also of whoever is a fan of athletics locally and internationally speaking.
The attempt here is not to try to limit their ownership to the Oromo nation, but to create awareness to recognize their Oromo identity, which has implications on how they are treated as human beings when they are denied their basic right of, at least, freely speaking in their mother-tongue when they win. The current trend seems to be that the athletes fear to speak Afan Oromo because they fear losing their careers due to the racist attitude from "Ethiopians" who would only want them to identify as "Amharic-speaking Ethiopian champions." For some, Amharic is a second language that they don't understand.
Achievements
Tilhaun Regassa won the Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands on Sunday April 14, 2013, finishing at 2:05:38:11. Here is Tilahun Regassa's unique interview after winning the 2013 Rotterdam Marathon:
Lelisa Desisa
The following day, on April 15, shortly before the tragic Boston Marathon Bombings, Lelisa Desisa (Ambo, Central Oromia) won the Boston Marathon's men's elite race clocking 2:10:22. The Oromo nation sends its condolences to the victims and families of the victims of the Boston attack. Bringing yet the second pride to all the fans of marathon as well as to the Oromo, Lelisa Desisa finished beautifully. Watch how Lelisa Desisa runs in this video:
Tsegaye Kebede Hordofa clenched his second title at the London Marathon, winning in a very competitive race with his Kenyan next of kin, Emanuel Muthai. Hordofa (Kebede) clocked 2:06:04. The London Marathon started with a moment of silence for victims of the Boston Marathon. Hordofa grew up poverty-stricken in central Oromia, Finfinne area, the capital city. Watch how Tsegaye Kebede Hordofa won the London Marathon here:
Oromo Authletes and the Dilemma of Nonrecognition in Ethiopia's Sports
Beyond being a powerful source of pride for Oromia, Ethiopia, Oromo athletes are the source of pride for Africa and the entire humanity that likes this sport. Every athlete runs representing an official country. So do Oromo athletes, at least for now, until Oromia is free or independent. Unlike other places where the ethnic origins of athletes are readily acknowledged, for instance, Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai and many others' origin from the Kalenjin ethnicity, Ethiopia fully suppresses the core ethno-national identity of Oromo athletes in order to prevent the Oromo people from being known worldwide. It is almost considered a taboo or a violation of Abyssinian colonial rules for these athletes to speak to journalists in their mother-tongue, Afan Oromo. Mind you, Amharic-speaking athletes are free to speak in their native because their blood kins rule Ethiopia. Even today, Oromos are forced to express themselves in a colonial language that they don't understand or did not learn in school.
Oromo athletes are often forced to speak through Amharic interpreters. They are also deprived of the opportunity to learn to speak in English. Communication challenges they face answering questions are enormous as they don't fully understand three languages that they find themselves circum-translating or getting circum-interpreted in. They face double alienation from Abyssinians who don't expressly support or recognize their merits because of the beautiful Oromo last names they bear such as Regassa, Desisa, and Hordofa. Pay attention to how they carefully expunged the last name "Hordofa" from "Kebede", the winner of the 2013 London Marathon because Habeshas did not like the fact that his name was not Amharic or Tigrigna--hegemonic ethnics' languages.
The competing nationalisms of Oromia and Ethiopia are obviously reflected in sports (athletics) as much as they are reflected in combative political competitions. If the athlete has an Oromo name, the Habesha would be reluctant about tweeting or sharing their success on social media or mainstream media for that matter. A related competing nationalism around sports was also seen during the most recent African Cup of Nations in South Africa.
One wonders how each of the athletes who are caught up in this violent mutual nonrecognition feel each time their very right to speak in their native tongue is suppressed or denied, each time they don't have an Afan Oromo speaking interpreter who understands their culture and language and who can best help them speak to the media of host nations.
It is a miracle for these athletes to win three international marathons in just one week. Our nation and the world are proud of their achievements. We marvel at their becoming champions beating through hard work the economically and socially cruel and degrading environments they grew up in.