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Sports in Eritrea primarily consist of football, cycling, and long-distance running.
Football is a popular recreational sport (as it is across the continent), and at a professional level it is played under the authority of the Eritrean National Football Federation. However, Eritrea is best known on the international stage for cycling and running. [1] [2]
Football and cycling were both introduced by Italians during the Italian Eritrea period of the late-19th to mid-20th centuries. [3] [4] The 21st century has seen Eritrea become a long-distance running competitor of Ethiopia and Kenya. [5] [6]
Though it is newer to the sport than fellow East African nations Ethiopia and Kenya, Eritrea has produced many successful long-distance runners since its independence. Most notable is Zersenay Tadese, who won Eritrea's first Olympic medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. [7] He held the half-marathon world record for over eight years, and remains in the all-time top ten for both the 10,000 metres and the half-marathon. [8] [9] Other notable runners include Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, Yonas Kifle, Nebiat Habtemariam, and Weini Frezghi.
Cycling has a long tradition in Eritrea and was first introduced during the colonial period. The Tour of Eritrea, a multi-stage cycling event, was held annually from 2001 to 2017 throughout the country. [10] [11]
The national cycling teams of both men and women are ranked first on the African continent. [12] The Eritrea national cycling team has experienced significant success, winning the African continental cycling championship several years in a row. In 2013, the women's team won the gold medal in the African Continental Cycling Championships for the first time, and for the second time in 2015 and third time in 2019. [13] [14] [15] [16]
Eritrea has produced a number of professional road racing cyclists. As of 2013, there were five Eritrean cyclists competing professionally: Daniel Teklehaymanot, Natnael Berhane, Ferekalsi Debesay, Meron Russom, and Jani Tewelde. [17] Teklehaymanot and fellow Eritrean Merhawi Kudus became the first Black African riders to compete in the Tour de France when they were selected by the MTN–Qhubeka team for the 2015 edition of the race. [18] In July of that year, Teklehaimanot also became the first rider from an African team to wear the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France. [19] In September 2021 Biniam Girmay became the first black African rider to achieve a podium finish in the history of the UCI Road World Championships, taking silver medal in men's under-23 road race. [20] He has followed this with a successful spring 2022, when he became the first African winner of a classic cycle race in Gent–Wevelgem, [21] and went on to become the first Black African to win a Grand Tour stage at the 2022 Giro d'Italia. [22] At the 2024 Tour de France, he became the first Black African to win a Tour stage. [23]
Cycling also represents a widespread form of transportation, as many Eritreans cannot afford motorized vehicles. [1]
Under colonial administration, the Italian League was introduced to Eritrea, with the first championship played in 1936. In December of the same year, six indigenous Eritrean teams formed a separate league from the Italian one. [24] Hamasien, the first indigenous club to play in the Italian League, was admitted in the 1944/45 season. [25]
An Eritrean football federation was founded in 1950; however, in 1953, following federation with Ethiopia, the federation's clubs were forced to play in the Ethiopian Premier League. This continued until Eritrea's independence and the formation of the Eritrean Premier League in 1994. [26] The Eritrean National Football Federation was founded in 1996, and became a member of FIFA in 1998. [27]
Eritrea has an indigenous martial art called testa (from the Italian for "head") or riesy. It primarily focuses on headbutting. [28]
The game of gena, a traditional form of field hockey played on and around Christmas, is played in the Ethiopian and Eritrean Highlands. [29] [30]
Eritrea made its Winter Olympic debut at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Eritrea's team was represented by their flagbearer Shannon-Ogbnai Abeda who competed as an alpine skier. [31]
Steven Todd Bauer, MSM is a retired professional road bicycle racer from Canada. He won the first Olympic medal in road cycling for Canada and until 2022 he was the only Canadian to win an individual stage of the Tour de France.
Robert "Robbie" Hunter is a retired South African professional road racing cyclist who competed professionally between 1999 and 2013. Hunter competed with UCI ProTeam Garmin–Sharp during his final professional season.
Bernhard Eisel is an Austrian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2019 for the Mapei–Quick-Step, Française des Jeux, HTC–Highroad, Team Sky and Team Dimension Data teams. Following his retirement, he worked as an analyst and presenter for Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network (GCN), before joining Bora–Hansgrohe as a directeur sportif in 2022.
Marta Bastianelli is an Italian former professional racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2006 to 2023. Bastianelli won the women's road race at the 2007 UCI Road World Championships ahead of Marianne Vos and Giorgia Bronzini, and also won the equivalent race at the 2018 European Road Cycling Championships, again beating Vos.
Jürgen Roelandts is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2008 and 2020, for the Lotto–Soudal, BMC Racing Team and Movistar Team squads. He now works as a directeur sportif for his final professional team, Movistar Team.
Amy Pieters is a Dutch professional road and track cyclist, who is contracted to ride for UCI Women's WorldTeam Team SD Worx–Protime. She was a member of the Dutch team that finished sixth at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the team pursuit.
Team Qhubeka was a UCI WorldTeam based in South Africa. The team rode to raise awareness and funds for Qhubeka, a South African not-for-profit organisation. The team was founded in 2007 and was the first-ever African team to ride the Tour de France (2015).
Eritrea competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fourth appearance at the Olympics.
Daniel Teklehaimanot Girmazion is a professional road racing cyclist from Eritrea, who last rode for UCI Professional Continental team Cofidis.
Team Jayco–AlUla is an Australian professional road race cycling team. Launched in January 2011, it competes at UCI WorldTeam level. The team was formed under the management of Andrew Ryan and Shayne Bannan, with Neil Stephens and Matt White as Sporting Directors. The team rides Giant bicycles, and wear Giordana Cycling clothing and Scott eyewear.
Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin is an Eritrean professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team Terengganu Cycling Team. During his professional career, Merhawi has taken six victories including three national road titles as well as the general classification and two stages at the 2019 Tour du Rwanda.
Floortje Mackaij is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Movistar Team.
Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay is an Ethiopian retired professional road cyclist from Tigray, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam Team Jayco–AlUla. He is a three time national road race champion, six time national time trial champion, and one time African time trial champion. Tsgabu became the first Ethiopian professional cyclist when he joined MTN–Qhubeka in 2012. In 2013 Tsgabu became the first Ethiopian to win an international cycling event when he won the fifth stage of the Tour de Taiwan. He made his UCI World Tour debut at the 2013 Giro di Lombardia.
Elisa Balsamo is an Italian road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's World Team Lidl–Trek, and represents Italy at international competitions.
The 2018 Gent–Wevelgem was a road cycling one-day race that took place on 25 March 2018 in Belgium. It was the 80th edition of Gent–Wevelgem and the eleventh event of the 2018 UCI World Tour.
Biniam Girmay Hailu is an Eritrean professional road cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Intermarché–Wanty.
The 2020 Gent–Wevelgem was a road cycling classic race that took place on 11 October 2020 in Belgium. It was the 82nd edition of Gent–Wevelgem and the eighteenth event of the 2020 UCI World Tour.
The 2022 season for Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux is the 15th season in the team's existence, and its second as a UCI WorldTeam and under the current name. They use Cube bicycles, Shimano drivetrain, Newmen wheels and Santic clothing.
The 2022 Gent–Wevelgem in Flanders Fields was a road cycling one-day race that took place on 27 March 2022 in the provinces of West Flanders and Hainaut in west Belgium. It was the 84th edition of Gent–Wevelgem and the 10th event of the 2022 UCI World Tour.
