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 BronzeTotal 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 MedalNameSportEventDateRef Meseret Defar Athletics Women's 5000 metres 11 October 2003 Sileshi Sihine Athletics Men's 10,000 metres 12 October 2003 Kutre Dulecha Athletics Women's 1500 metres 13 October 2003 Ejegayehu Dibaba Athletics Women's 10,000 metres 14 October 2003 Kenenisa Bekele Athletics Men's 5000 metres 15 October 2003
Silver Medal MedalNameSportEventDateRef Endalkachew Kebede Boxing Light Flyweight 48 kg 12 October 2003 Gebreegziabher Gebremariam Athletics Men's 10,000 metres 12 October 2003 Werknesh Kidane Athletics Women's 10,000 metres 14 October 2003 Amsale Yakob Athletics Women's 20 kilometres walk 14 October 2003 Hailu Mekonnen Athletics Men's 5000 metres 15 October 2003 Gashaw Melese Athletics Men's marathon 15 October 2003 Tadelech Birra Athletics Women's marathon 15 October 2003 Yoseph Adamsegeo Taekwondo Men's Under 54 kg 16 October 2003
Bronze Medal MedalNameSportEventDateRef Daniel Tade Boxing Featherweight 57 kg 11 October 2003 Esayas Getaneh Boxing Lightweight 60kg 11 October 2003 Dejene Berhanu Athletics Men's 10,000 metres 12 October 2003 Tewodros Shiferaw Athletics Men's 3000 metres steeplechase 13 October 2003 Leila Aman Athletics Women's marathon 15 October 2003 Gudisa Shentema Athletics Men's marathon 16 October 2003
References