Ethiopia at the 2003 All-Africa Games
# Ethiopia at the 2003 All-Africa Games

Ethiopia competed in the 2003 All-Africa Games held at the National Stadium in the city of Abuja, Nigeria. The team wielded a very strong athletic contingent, which brought back a total of five gold, six silver and four bronze medals. Amongst the gold medal winners were future multiple Olympic gold medal winners Kenenisa Bekele and Meseret Defar. In boxing, the team brought back a silver and two bronze medals. At the end of the event, the team had won a total of twenty medals, the largest number that it had won in the history of the Games, and came eighth overall in the medal table.

## Competitors

Ethiopia has been a consistent attendee at the All-Africa Games. In 2003, the country entered sixty five events, including thirty one for men and thirty four for women. The athletics contingent was particularly strong. Among the competitors was Meseret Defar, winner of two Olympic gold medals and twice world record holder, and Kenenisa Bekele, who won three Olympic medals and the first to win both the 5000 metre and 10,000 metre titles at the World Championships. The country also entered the women’s football tournament, which was the first time that the sport had been played at the Games. Much was hoped for, especially given the unprecedented haul of fourteen medals in 1999. The team did not disappoint and achieved an even higher tally.

### Medal table

| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Athletics | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| Boxing | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Taekwondo | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 8 | 7 | 20 |

## Medal summary

Ethiopia won twenty medals, consisting of five gold, eight silver and seven bronze, and was ranked eighth in the final medal table. This was the largest haul of medals that the country had achieved during the history of the Games, exceeding the previous record, achieved in 1999, by six.

## List of Medalists

### Gold Medal

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Gold | Meseret Defar | Athletics | Women's 5000 metres | 11 October 2003 |
| Gold | Sileshi Sihine | Athletics | Men's 10,000 metres | 12 October 2003 |
| Gold | Kutre Dulecha | Athletics | Women's 1500 metres | 13 October 2003 |
| Gold | Ejegayehu Dibaba | Athletics | Women's 10,000 metres | 14 October 2003 |
| Gold | Kenenisa Bekele | Athletics | Men's 5000 metres | 15 October 2003 |

### Silver Medal

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Silver | Endalkachew Kebede | Boxing | Light Flyweight 48 kg | 12 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Gebreegziabher Gebremariam | Athletics | Men's 10,000 metres | 12 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Werknesh Kidane | Athletics | Women's 10,000 metres | 14 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Amsale Yakob | Athletics | Women's 20 kilometres walk | 14 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Hailu Mekonnen | Athletics | Men's 5000 metres | 15 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Gashaw Melese | Athletics | Men's marathon | 15 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Tadelech Birra | Athletics | Women's marathon | 15 October 2003 | |
| Silver | Yoseph Adamsegeo | Taekwondo | Men's Under 54 kg | 16 October 2003 | [9] [10] |

### Bronze Medal

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Bronze | Daniel Tade | Boxing | Featherweight 57 kg | 11 October 2003 |
| Bronze | Esayas Getaneh | Boxing | Lightweight 60kg | 11 October 2003 |
| Bronze | Dejene Berhanu | Athletics | Men's 10,000 metres | 12 October 2003 |
| Bronze | Tewodros Shiferaw | Athletics | Men's 3000 metres steeplechase | 13 October 2003 |
| Bronze | Leila Aman | Athletics | Women's marathon | 15 October 2003 |
| Bronze | Gudisa Shentema | Athletics | Men's marathon | 16 October 2003 |
