Kenya, Ethiopia athletics rivalry plays out at Mashujaa Day

Abiy said that Kenya and Ethiopia had demonstrated through athletics that competition and cooperation could go hand in hand.

Kenya and Ethiopia should transform their fierce athletics rivalry into a catalyst for economic growth and regional integration, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.

“Our athletes have run side by side. Sometimes Kenya wins, sometimes Ethiopia takes the crown. We race as rivals and build together as partners,” he said.

The Ethiopian leader challenged the two countries to extend this spirit beyond the track and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, energy, trade and technology to improve the livelihoods of their people.

Abiy pointed to connectivity and financial technology as examples of the links between the two countries, citing the road network connecting Mombasa to Ethiopia and the role of Safaricom and M-Pesa in connecting people and facilitating money transfers.

Source: The Standard Sports