The current publication of the Menesey Magazine appeared with an interview of athlete Yonas Kfle, one of the top
marathon runners of Eritrea.
Shaebia.org presents the translated version of the interview:
In this year’s London marathon you stood
seventh. How was the competition?
Great athletes like Wanjeru,
Mebrahtom Kflezghi and
others participated in the race. So, it was clear that it would be a big competition
and it was. I had already competed in that game in 2008. The preparations I
made for that competition helped me to maintain my previous year’s rank.
However, a week before the game, I didn’t feel good with my health and
raking seventh was encouraging.
Some say that you
didn’t improve your rank because you were with the pace makers; had you
increased your speed you would have scored better. What do you think?
Yes, they are right. But, what I tried to do
was to follow my watch. Of course, the pace makers didn’t do well. But based on my time, I left them when I thought it
was time to do so. Had I left them earlier, I might have improved my rank. But,
what basically I tried to do was keeping my speed according to my watch.
Seeing athlete Zeresenay Taddese beside you at
the marathon, what was your feeling?
It was great and encouraging. Since he was
there for the first time in the marathon, I told him to be beside me. But, he
rushed and joined the leading group. It was not a right decision for him as he
was a beginner in the marathon competitions. Such a competition is really tough
and needs perseverance. An athlete could run well for 35 kilometres, but the
last distance is very challenging. There are those who collapse in the last
meters of the game. So, an athlete should run according to his time record.
What do you think
about Zeresenay joining the marathon?
It was too early for him. I think it is better
for him to stay for some time in the half marathon that he has mastered and
where he gained good reputation before joining the marathon.
Could you tell us
something about your back ground and how you became an athlete?
I was born in 1977 in the Debub
region. My parents were farmers. When I was young I loved volleyball and
gymnastics. But, when I joined the running completions in our school, my
teachers started to encourage and register me for competitions.
In the mid 1990s I joined the 200 and 400
meters race and latter I joined the 3000 meters. In the students’ week
competition of 1996 I stood first in the 3000 meters race. Since then I was
encouraged that I would succeed in such completions and I joined the Setit Athletics Club in 1997.
When and where was
your first international game?
It was in 1998 in Djibouti in a half marathon
competition. We had no idea about modern athletics at that time and making my
preparations for 3000 meters in Asmara, I joined
the half marathon in Djibouti.
Ranking 12th in my first trip and in my first half marathon
competition was encouraging indeed.
How do you define the
marathon competition in general?
It is the most tough and challenging type of a competition.
Running for 42 kilometres demands much energy, resistance… you could quit
running due to simple obstacles; minor inconvenience of shoe, sock… force
you to quit. You also need to take sometime, from two to three months, before
competing in another game.
In how many marathon
competitions have you participated?
It has been two years since I joined the
marathon division and I have competed in four games: One during the Beijing
Olympics 2008; twice in the London marathon, in Flora,
and in a similar race in Holland.
But, these are not enough for an athlete to compete in two years. An athlete has
to participate in four marathon games in a year.
What are your other
favourite sports, if any?
I love soccer and especially I am a fun of the
European football. And cycling is one of the sports I love.
Which team do you
support?
I’m Manchester United’s
fun. Regarding cyclists, I admire the late Yemane Tekeste. I had a chance to see him on race in Mendefera once.
What are your future
plans?
At the present I am preparing for the 2009 Berlin, Germany,
marathon. The competition is arranged by the IAF and is known as world
championship. Before going to Berlin, I will
go to Spain
for a half marathon and 15-kilometer competitions which I expect will help me
for the marathon competition.
What do you do on your
spare time?
I’m always busy because I am usually on
trainings. When I get any chance, however, I enjoy reading and watching movies.
Any unique incident in your life?
The 2004 Olympic competition was a unique
experience for me. I had already made enough preparations for the 10,000 meters
competition. But, what I faced was quite different. Even now I don’t know
the reason behind my failure but when I remember that occasion I regret a lot.
What is the current
standard of athletics in Eritrea?
The number of new athletes is growing from time
to time which is encouraging. Zeresenay’s
victory in Athens Olympics encouraged many youngsters to join the profession.
However, I don’t think that we are exploiting the potential as it should
be. Schools are the base for sport activities and many sportsmen emerge from
them. So, we need to go dawn at the lower level of schools and look for young
athletes.
Thank you Yonas Kfle!
Source: Menesey Magazine, May 2009, No. 22
