FC Adulis and its Friends Donated £2500 to Eritrean U-20 Football Team

FC Adulis and its Friends Donated £2500 to Eritrean U-20 Football Team

Adulis FC is a football club established in UK in 1992 under a former name FC South London Eritreans until adopting its current name in 1995. What made FC Adulis unique is that it was and is a team composed of players coming from diverse background (i.e. ethnic, language, etc). FC Adulis has always been a true reflection of Eritrea’s rich diversity. Playing football as a team made it quite natural to infuse into the players and its supporters alike, that unique Eritrean culture of mutual respect & tolerance, thereby helping the team members continuously learning from one another, adding more strength and sustenance to the team. United in its diversity, FC Adulis not only played exhilarating football on the pitch but also played a leading role in the defence of our country, promoting our community and encouraging youngsters (both in Diaspora and back home)

In March 1999, FC Adulis had successfully organised an event under the theme, ‘Hibri-Ayne’na’ translated as colour of our eyes and raised about £15,000 to support our brothers and sisters in the EDF (Eritrean Defence Forces) defending Eritrea from the marauding weyane’s invasion.

The naming of the theme was a direct response to the illegal actions of the minority regime in Ethiopia that is led by Genocidal Dictator Meles Zenawi. In July 1998, at the height of the Eritrea Ethiopia border conflict ordered the massive and inhumane deportations of over 80,000 Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin from Ethiopia, by saying:

“…The Ethiopian government has the unrestricted right to expel any foreigner from the country for any reason whatsoever. Any foreigner, whether Eritrean, Japanese, etc., lives in Ethiopia because of the goodwill of the government. If the Ethiopian government says ´Go, because we don’t like the color of your eyes,’ they have to leave…”

The 80,000 deportees were forced to cross through mine-infested borders, abandoning their hard earned life time savings and assets behind because Meles Zenawi did not like the “color of their eyes”. It was a clear violation of international law, but his handlers looked the other way and some even justified his actions and made excuses for him.

Later that year, after the veteran(Yekealo) goalkeeper, Fiqre had moved to USA, the young(warsai) Moges Zerai left for Eritrea to enlist with our EDF to defend the nation. Though FC Adulis was suddenly left without a goalkeeper, that wasn’t the least of the team’s concern as its main focus, first and foremost, was the wellbeing of Eritrea. A couple of years later, FC Adulis had also organised Eritrean community in London for a successful fund-raising barbecue weekend in Cockfosters, North London, and donated all the proceedings to Eritrean Relief Association (ERA).

In 2005, FC Adulis travelled across the channel to France to play there for the 14^th Anniversary of Eritrean Independence just before the team travelled that summer to Eritrea. FC Adulis bought footballs from Eritrea and donated it along with football kits to the U-14s and training bibs to the EDF. On the 14^th August, that summer, FC Adulis played a friendly match against the EDF in Dekemhare. The score line is immaterial but for the record, EDF beat a depleted FC Adulis 5-0 that day. Apart from the match result, it was a good experience apart from the match result, however FC Adulis promised to come back with a full squad for a return match. The previous year, FC Adulis had a successful fund-raising event in collaboration with Abraham Afeworki (RIP) and his band to organise and represent a London-wide Eritrean team in the annual ESFNA (Eritrean Sport Federation in North America). FC Adulis will continue striving to initiate a similar Euro-wide and even world-wide Annual Eritrean championship.

And now, 18 years after the club was established, FC Adulis wants to show its appreciation to the Government of Eritrea and NasAir for playing a vital role in funding and organising a very successful CECAFA U-20 tournament in Asmara, under the theme of ‘Friendship and Development Cup.’ FC Adulis understands that promoting, funding & organising sports activities should not be shouldered by only the GoE & a few individuals but the wider public should also play active role in it. The GoE has already got its hands full and stretched to the limit on other equally important and challenging priorities of our time, building and providing basic infrastructure and services across the nation such as, clean water, sanitation, schools, heath-care facilities, electricity, sports facilities and etc....

The footballing competency exhibited by our U-20 football team just a couple of week ago was scintillating, to say the least and FC Adulis and its Associates are so proud of them. Last Saturday the 4^th of September 2010, using the opportunity of the 49th Anniversary of the launching of the struggle for Eritrean Independence, FC Adulis showed its appreciation by donating £2500 towards a further development of the U-20 and sport in our country in general (please refer at the end of this document for the list of individuals who made their kind contribution). Goitom Seyoum, a veteran Adulis centre back, handed the donation to H.E. Ambassador Tesfamichael Gerahtu, himself a former professional footballer in his youth before joining the liberation struggle in the 70's.

During the handover, Goitom expressed how the Eritrean Diaspora community were captivated as if 'Eritrea was playing in the World Cup' and ambassador Wedi-Gerahtu further emphasised that it was the 'initiative that FC Adulis took that should be commended more than the money contribution.'

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