HOME
| President's Message |
|
|
|
|
Abennet G, Meskel ODA President, Saint George Football Club As President of Saint George Football Club, I follow in a long line of family supporters. I have been a keen player and avid supporter of the club since childhood and I like to think I also follow in a long line of passionate and visionary Presidents. I formally took on the role as head of the club in 2003, having been the vice-president and a proactive board member and fundraiser for many years prior to my appointment. Then in the early years, football, the only sport played in schools, became a symbol of Ethiopian pride and sporting prowess. And since, during the ensuing seven decades, the club has morphed from that of standing as a public amateur team to holding the number one slot in the Premier League in the country. I set this as one of my chief goals when I took on the role as President in order to move the club into the international public spotlight. Saint George is the oldest team in this country and we have won a lot of championships in Ethiopia and played many international games in Africa. But in this age, in the 21st century, we have to compete with Arsenal and Manchester United. I say, “Why not us? We are professional and talented and have the desire and edge to win”. I love the game and am devoted to the team for all the fun and the challenge that football represents, but I bring an evident professional skill to bear on the club’s development and financial standing as I am an investor in Ethiopia, the general manager of Pharmacure plc and a shareholder in one of Ethiopia’s national oil companies. The vision for Saint George’s future as a professional club with Premier League status has driven me to not only find investors to fund the players, but to build a new stadium for Ethiopia. While the government has gifted the land on which the stadium will be built, it is one of my closest friends, Sheikh Mohammed H Al Amoudi who has agreed to fund the majority of the building costs. This is an incredible gift. The size and scope of the design for the stadium is a testament to the national importance of the game and the design, by the Chinese company CJIC, embraces great modern design. We are the first team in Ethiopia to bring in a foreign coach and players. It is not only good for Saint George as a team, but it is great for the sport as a whole in this country as it inspires other teams to excel and challenge us. Finding a way to create a whole new stadium was a whole other dream. And it is now happening. While Sheikh Mohammed H Al Amoudi has gifted 80 percent of the sponsorship for the stadium, the club is also being sponsored by BGI, an Addis Ababa based brewery, the Dashen Bank and Pepsi Ethiopia. As both a club member and the President, I have enormous thanks to extend to everyone who supports Saint George, and on all levels, from the people who sponsor so generously to each and every fan and member. The stadium will help the club’s income grow and its existence will also benefit many children for practice and high school tournaments. It will be there for all the people of Ethiopia. The next stage is that we will be in a position to host the African Nations Cup, perhaps in 2016. There is, as you can see, the determination to bring Ethiopian football to the absolute top level.
|