Once again yesterday was remembered as one of the remarkable, historical and sudden day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. October 25 1973 one of the worlds best athlete Abebe Bekila has passed away.

Abbey Bekila has born in August 7, 1932 in a countryside. He was one of the best athletes in the world and make history by winning double marathon. Winning marathon only was not making Abebe hero, but the world surprised while he run the marathon on barefoot and set the new record of Olympic marathon (Rome & Tokyo) . The new record of marathon has been renewed time to time till now, however I don’t think that no body can win and set the new marathon record running on barefoot now a days.

For every thing has its own reason. Once when Abebe give interview, he mentioned that “It was the will of God that I won the Olympics“. That was vey correct. He was selected one month before the Rome 1960 Olympics summer game started by Niskanen along with Abebe Wakjira. The reason Abebe selected was one of Ethiopian athletics hero Wami Biratu was sick and not able to participate the Olympic Games in Rome. That time Niskanen was convinced by Abebe’s talent and he decided to take him with Ethiopia delegation.

Niskanen was one of the athletics coach’s together with Ethiopian coaches during in that era. He was a Swdesh-Finnish root and working in Ethiopia and make a big impact on Ethiopian Athletics in late 40’s and early 50’s. The decision he made to take Bekila was un predictable, however it turns to one of the world most historical masterpiece in Olympic Games.

Niskanen’s believe to Bekila’s talent was not stop only in Rome Olympic Games. In 40 days before started the Tokyo 1964 Olympic marathon, Abebe had a surgery on appendix. While Niskanen and the late Ethiopian sport figure Yidnekachew Tesema heard from the doctors that Bikila diagnosis appendicitis, they decided in behalf of Abebe to take the surgery. The decision was claimed by other sport families as if they made wrong decision. Though, after a month training, Abebe made his second Olympic marathon gold medal with the new record and set to be the first person, who won Olympic marathon twice.

The trust between what Niskanen had and the talent what Abebe had was a great mixture of doing the masterpiece. I have to say that when Finnish people’s once they trust in your talent, they know how to implement and get something very special from it. Even though Abebe make the history, behind the curtain there were an expert, who were a part of these extraordinary achievement.

Abebe Bekila died 41 years ago yesterday in October 25′ 1973. When there is always Abebe Bekila’s history mentioned, Niskanen also mentioned and known as a decision maker to take Abebe Bekila to be a part of Ethiopian delegation in Olympic Games of Roma 1960.