Shabait has cordially invited EAAA's president Mr.Yohannes Debesai for an exlusive interview. It was a lengthy interview to cover all from the seminal conception of the group, all the ups and downs it went through upto its current developments and achievements. Here is the exerpts of the interview

Mebrahtu   EAAA secretary

A Conversation with the President of EAAA, Yohannes Debessai
By Tighisti Fesshaye
Jan 24, 2005, 14:28

EAAA members in Toronto for sport fans, and specially athletics in the Eritrean society, the name EAAA might be familiar. EAAA is also known to those who track news and events covered by the media channels and particularly websites run by Eritreans.

The Eritrean American Athletes Association (EAAA) is an association founded by Eritreans in Atlanta, America, in July 2001 motivated by the Olympic Games in Sydney in which Eritrea participated for the first time. The objective of the founders at that time was ton contribute for the Eritrean athletics and achieve greater victory in Athens Olympics. Thus their theme that reflects their mission had been "From Sydney to Athens through Atlanta".

Four years later, Eritrean athletes again participated in the Athens Olympics. EAAA pioneers were dreaming of achieving success. Their dream became true. Efforts exerted bore fruit. Eritrean athletes Zeresenay Tadesse and Meb Keflezgi achieved victory placing the name of their country in different media outlets by becoming the first Eritrean Olympic champs.

According to Yohannes Debessai, President of EAAA, the association had carried activities beyond the objectives set at its initial stage, which was in the year 2001. The first measure taken by EAAA pioneers immediately right after Sydney Olympics was gathering information about Eritreans athletes of North America.

Explaining the objectives of EAAA, President of the association, Mr. Yohannes Debessai, said "The purpose of EAAA as indicated in article II of its bylaws is to promote health among the Eritrean American societies, Eritrean American runners in particular, and to improve their professional level by: -Encouraging new runners to continue running, whether it is for health reasons, losing weight, and/or developing profession. -Implementing training programs for those who
want to run professionally. -Assist in finding college scholarships for high school seniors. -Assist in creating career for the best runners by placing them into professional teams. -Communicating through our website and educating our societies about the benefits of running. -Create net-working among Eritrean runners."

"In July of 2001, Many Eritrean runners including Olympians Meb Kiflezgi and Bolota Asmerom were present in Atlanta on our invitation to form Eritrean runners' association." said Mr. Yohannes, "in August of the same year we voted for name of our association, and EAAA was voted to be our official name. Between September and December of 2001, we drafted bylaws, built a website, did an exemplary campaign and election. By January of 2002, we became a fully structured association with nine officers: President, Secretary, Public Relations, Treasurer, Activity Coordinator, Medical Desk Director with assistant and Professional Desk Director with assistant."

EAAA conducted a unique Track and Field tournament in Toronto, Canada in July of 2002. Many Eritrean runners came together to compete and share their dreams. Toronto tournament has special memories in the hearts of many Eritrean runners in North America.

As part of its objectives, the Association assisted many Eritrean athletes in the States.

"We assisted Eritrean runners in finding college scholarships saving them up to $80,000 dollars per four year of college," he said "We established strong relations with Eritrean National Athletics Federation during Meb's and my visit to Asmara in November of 2002. We sent EAAA runners to represent Eritrea at World Cross Country Championships of whom one is a head coach for a University now. We conducted a summer training program in DC metro area and were able to send one of our runners to US Junior Olympics; He finished first from his heat. We also conducted Seminars to Eritreans and EAAA members to raise awareness of Eritrea's potential in athletics and educate our
societies about the benefits of running."

"We have worked to encourage Eritrean runners in Europe and Australia." EAAA had also extended help to our runners at home and other continents beside North America.

EAAA donated trophies and medals to Eritrean Athletics Federation and cycling committee and assisted Eritrean runners at home with sport gears.

"What we gave them is a small help and what they have done is a tremendous job." said Yohannes, "now we will help other runners who really need help. Our goal is for Eritrea to have so many runners who will raise its flag up in world sport contests."

"Even though the most effective work is done within EAAA i.e. USA and Canada," said Yohannes, "we want Eritreans to understand that we will continue to assist our runners throughout the world, and we are sure to build a legacy where Eritrea will sit at top of the World athletics."

Another activity of EAAA that a lot of Eritreans know is dissemination of news of activities or events where Eritrean runners take part."We have been the eyes and ears of Eritrean runners and raised the popularity of our runners in their respective community, Eritrea and the world at large," Yohannes said.

As part of its fund raising techniques, EAAA has done t-shirt sales, conducted parties and car washes, and by this raised enough money to send EAAA runners to World Cross Country Championship to represent Eritrea and for carrying its day to day activities. Membership fees and member donations have also contributed to sustain EAAA work.

Any Eritrean-American or Eritrean can be a member of EAAA as long as he/she fulfills the following requirements: -Actively engaged in running and have interest in helping the runners. -Pays membership dues on time. -Support the mission of this Association. -Actively participates in making a difference in the Association by giving advice, involving in discussions, voting, or /and running for office. -Abides by the rules and regulations of this Association.

As president of the association, Mr. Yohannes gave his heart and effort to EAAA and advancing Eritrean athletics. He works to live up to the bylaws stated as tasks of the president. EAAA bylaws state that the president shall be the principle spokesperson for the Association; He/she shall chair all meetings and oversee all activities of the Association.

According to Yohannes, EAAA is fully structured and a highly admired association.

"In EAAA, every member is a leader," says Yohannes,"the determination and persistent devotion of members is this association's driving force in to a stage of excellence, which makes a big difference in our community and Eritrea. It is so hard for our people at times to imagine that EAAA members are volunteers that work for our athletics at their spare time, and that they have their own life (school, work and helping family members)."

But there is a factor that the president puts as a constraint in the daily activity of the Association.

"The only limiting factor is time," he said,"at times we have hard time to enforce officers or members to do the Association's duties for they have their own life. I would not say it is a weakness but that, time, is our restrainer. Our runners in North America go to school during the week and compete during the weekend. Since they have expenses to live in this expensive western world, they work part-time and that leaves them with limited time for training."

Yohannes believes that Eritrean runners at home have an advantage of time over EAAA runners as far as time is concerned, and he advices them to use this advantage.

Referring to EAAA President, the Association is for running (athletics) and cycling only."We believe in doing less things and doing them well. We will dedicate ourselves, in the coming years, in advancing Eritrean athletics."

Well, the picture is clear and we are witnessing great hope in Eritrean athletics through the victorious triumphs registered by Zeresenay Tadesse and Meb Kiflezgi in the Olympic Games of Athens, as well as in other competitions. As Yohannes puts it they are the pride for the nation and hope for the people. World media coverage of the events and mention of Eritrea in connection with their success in those competitions are witness to how much those brave Eritreans are contributing to Eritrea's sport history.

Yohannes noted that not only those top runners, but even our runners in high school and college are contributing to the publicity of Eritrea.

"Nigisti Negusse recieved admiration for representing Eritrea where her school website wrote articles about her mentioning Eritrea. Even though she did not bring success to Eritrea at world cross country championships, her publicity is great for our nation. The same thing for Natnael Amare, who represented Eritrea and is now a head coach for a college. Here, I want ENAF to understand that by giving opportunity to EAAA runners to represent Eritrea, they are creating a greater sense of success for our athletes and Eritrea," said Yohannes.

Although we always find Albert Einstein's statement; "Seek not to be a person of success but instead be a person of value," at the end of articles or news items written by Yohannes, yet the president of EAAA believes that success is contiguous and works to induce it to our runners.

Eritrean Athlets"Because Meb is successful, Zeresenay wants to be successful and vice versa." he noted,"we want to induce this contiguous infectious desire into our runners. We want others to excel like Meb and Zeresenay. We will work hard for contributing to that. Eritrea's success in Athletics will be measured by how many runners we produce who will bring medal to Eritrea more than how long our best runners will last."

A national champion for Canadian cross country is an EAAA runner, a national champion for USA colleges is an EAAA runner, State champion for California track is EAAA runner, EAAA runners have won state championships in Ohio, Indiana and many of them have got all American titles. EAAA has seen so many victories from a small high school corner to a national and international level. This is a blessing for us and we have no option but to support our runners. This is a hope that Eritrea will prevail in Athletics. EAAA will be hope for those young runners who in turn will be hope for Eritrea tomorrow.

For Yohannes the most important issue for Eritrea to achieve great success in athletics is to ask ourselves what we have done and what we should do."We need to exploit our potentials," he added.

Yohannes suggests that ENAF(Eritrean National Athletics Federation) has to set projects, and competition in which every willing citizen runner throughout the country could participate. The government and the people have to work to fund or sponsor the running events. We have to exploit our potential."I believe there are plans underway. EAAA will work hard to do the same here and sponsor events in Eritrea," he said.

According to Yohannes, EAAA had presented ENAF with "Eritrean High Schools National Championship" event plan where $30,000 nakfa will be given as a prize to the winner runners. The top three runners form each high school were planned to participate. 54 high schools could have contributed 324 male and female runners for the championship in Asmara.

"If Eritrea can do this and the top ten runners at the championship are taken into better training for international competitions, then we can say that Eritrea has exploited its potential in high schools." stressed Yohannes."We want Eritrean high schools to do competitions, to choose their top three males and females; in the meanwhile we will study the logistic issues of the "Eritrean High Schools National Championship". We also want to see championships in Sawa, between armed forces in the country and others so that we get the best
Eritrean runners for the nation."

"We strongly believe that there are great Eritrean runners inside the country, even as great as Zeresenay and Meb, but they have not got an opportunity." He said:"This is a huge task that our nation's federation and the government should take very seriously. We have four months that elapsed since Athens victory, and EAAA is concerned of not seeing any national event aimed at getting more runners for the nation. There are a lot of things to be done and we will continue to discuss with ENAF, and see what are planned for the nation's
athletics."

His last comment in this conversation: "I would like to assure Eritreans that EAAA will work hard to advance Eritrean Athletics everywhere. We are watching all the development projects in the country. The sacrifice and the dedication of Eritreans for our common existence and well-being is in our blood and drives us to work more for our nation. We just want to "do little things with great love" as mother Teresa said."

"In the world where injustice had been a clear cut throat on Eritrea, where many have wished to put an end to our existence and at the same time where Eritreans living at abject and dire situations, but working with hope and sacrificing for the nation; we have no option but to work for our country."

He believes that Eritrea is a place where "Determination overcomes obstacles into Opportunity" and Yohannes's advice is "let us be determined to make a difference".

"To accomplish great things, we must not only dream, but act."  Bill Blackman