ENA
13 March 2007
Addis Ababa — The all Ethiopian games, the first of its kind to be organized in the country, kicked off here Sunday at the Addis Ababa stadium in the presence of senior government officials.
The opening ceremony of the event was colourful.
Some 3,000 athletes drawn from all states would compete in 17 disciplines during the event that would be held up to April 8, 2007.
Renowned Ethiopian athletes Haile Gebreselassie, Meseret Defar, Tirunesh Dibaba and Sileshi Sehin lit the torch of the games.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sports and Youth, Minister Aster Mamo said the objective of the games is nurturing a sense of brotherhood among nations and nationalities based on the Olympic principles and the constitution.
Creating a sense of unity, respect and solidarity at the sports field are also the themes of the event, she said.
Moreover, the event would also serve as an opportunity to draw lessons to organize continental and international competitions in the future, she added.
The government has carried out remarkable activities in setting up the institution and designing policies aimed at involving the public, particularly the youth in sport activities.
Aster said the Ethiopian youth development package, which was designed based on the National Youth Policy, is being implemented to enable the youth take part in the democratization process in the country.
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