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Jamaican Bobsleigh? No, Ethiopian ski team!
Ethiopian skier Robel Teklemariam poses during training on the street of the capital Addis Ababa February 3, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Irada Humbatova
Jamaican Bobsleigh? No, Ethiopian ski team!
(Reuters) - There is no precise word for 'snow' in the Amharic language of Ethiopia, but that did not stop the Teklemariam brothers from establishing the country's first ski association and opening the doors to winter sports for young African athletes.
Drawing sporting inspiration from Ethiopia's world-beating long distance runners and hoping to represent Ethiopia for the first time in the Winter Olympics, Yoseph, Benyam, and Robel Teklemariam founded the Ethiopian Ski Association (ESA) in 2005.
Robel competed at the 2006 and 2010 Games in Turin and Vancouver and has raised awareness of winter sports to Ethiopians around the world.
"Most Ethiopians that we meet or have commented online think it's really cool and are often amazed that their country has a skier that represented them in the Winter Olympics," Yoseph said in a telephone interview.
"Most never paid any attention to the Olympics, other than our famed runners in the Summer Olympics."
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