Ethiopia sets up national committee to welcome home Olympic athletes

August 26th, 2008 | EthioPolitics.com |

APA - Ethiopia has established a national committee to welcome its Olympic athletes from Beijing.

The national committee is established by the Ethiopian Ministry of Youth and Sports, together with the Ethiopian Athletics Federation and the Ethiopian Olympic Committee.

Accordingly, the national committee will organize a special welcome ceremony for the athletes as well as organize various prizes for them. The athletes are expected to arrive in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, and thousands of people are expected to welcome them on their arrival at the airport and on their way to the center of Addis Ababa, home to close to five million people.

The athletes, according to the ministry of Youth and Sports, will be received at the Addis Ababa stadium. Many governmental and private organizations are expected to presents flowers and various gifts to the athletes.

Ethiopia, which sent around 30 athletes to the Beijing Olympics was lucky to collect more gold medals than the previous Olympics in Athens.

Ethiopia won four gold, one silver and 2 bronze medals.

“Our athletes, who have honored us with these accomplishments, deserve our love and respect as they have once again reaffirmed their status as heroes and heroines of the millennium and superb promoters of our country,” a statement from the Ethiopian ministry of Information ministry said.

The government is expected to give the athletes a good amount of money.

“The colorful reception by the public for our athletes returning from Beijing after victoriously accomplishing the national mission they were given by the government and people is expected eagerly because of the much colorful joy it adds to our Millennium celebrations,” the ministry said.