Eritrean-American-Polish Thomas Kelati rejected the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers in 2009, Opted for the European league.

Thomas Kelati continues to be a well seasoned and a steady player as he gets older. As most of our readers know he got his start in professional basketball in Belgium then Poland and he moved on to Spain and Russia afterwards. In between he was able to rub shoulders and actually get along with one of the world’s best basketball players of our time Kobe Bryant. He currently plays for Polish side Stelmet Zielona Góra where he has been contributing to the team’s second place success. His team’s chances of playing in the European Champions League are also high this season. He made the move to Poland where his wife is from after spending most of his career playing for top Spanish teams. 

                                     Thomas with his current team in Poland Stelmet Zielona Góra

This article will focus on Thomas and the Lakers and why he did not pursue the opportunity to join a topnotch team. With Alexander Isak rejecting Real Madrid and a couple of other big teams, may be some athletes can learn from these Eritrean family values and well cultured athletes that may change the way decisions are made in the future. There are still some questions that linger as to why Thomas did not continue with the Los Angeles Lakers to this day. 

                       Thomas with the Los Angeles Lakers against the Charlotte Bobcats during his short stay.

It was the year 2009 and fans all over the world were following the former Washington State Cougar and all Pac 10 standout as he made his way to the city of Angeles where he had an opportunity to play for one of the best professional basketball teams in history. As a free agent, Kelati signed with the Lakers in a training camp invitee role on September 30, 2009, but he was later waived or was he really waived. During a recent interview he conducted with a Polish Journalist Thomas was asked about the contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. According to his responses, which were conducted in Polish, the experience for Thomas was great as he was about to fulfill the dream of playing in the NBA.

The Lakers invited him to camp along with seven other players. During this period of time they approached him through third parties and finally decided to call his agent and mentioned to him that Kobe really likes his style of play so did Phil Jackson. The Lakers thought that Kelati fit into the team’s plan and wanted to keep him, however within that year alone the Lakers had to cut a staff of 13 players as a result of high salaries and luxury tax. The team promised Kelati that they would send him to the D-League and would call on him during the regular season, at which point Thomas decided that he would be better off playing in Europe, thus rejecting the Los Angeles Lakers offer.

Why would anyone turn down a great team?

Thomas had options and he decided to go with his instinct to play in Europe and make guaranteed money instead of lingering in the D-League of the NBA where he would have had to wait on the Lakers to call him up. So once again a year later, the Lakers came calling again, and asked for Thomas with a new proposal but he refused once again because the offer was based on the same criteria as the year before, which was for him to attend training camp and a possible contract at a later time. Meanwhile, during that time Kelati had three great offers on the table from the likes of Olympiacos of Greece, Real Madrid of Spain and Russia’s Khimki, which was offering him a very rewarding contract. So in the end Thomas decided on a two-year contract with Russia’s Khimiki, which also participated in the European championships. He made a clever choice not to put everything into one basket as he fought for a possible contract with Los Angeles without rejecting any of the other proposals.

              Thomas with Russian Champion Khimiki where he signed a big contract to reject the Lakers.

 How was Kelati’s experience with Kobe and the Lakers?

Kelati spoke highly of Kobe Bryant. He spoke of how Kobe was a workaholic and trained intensely throughout the time that he saw him while with the Lakers. Training with the L.A meant measuring up to Kobe Bryant work habits as he set the standard bar high. Thomas also looked up to players like Shannon Brown who was on the Laker’s squad at the time. It was a great experience for him, because he had the opportunity to compete and practice with a legendary NBA player and one of the best players in the history of the game. He added that, “Kobe came to practice early and twice a day.” He was very well liked by his teammates and it was an honor to have spent even a short amount of time with him.

Update on Thomas these days:

After playing with Murcia in Spain last year where he took a pay cut to help the team out he also was getting proposals offers from other teams including in Spain and Turkey where he did not want to take his entire family 

(Wife and kids). He finally settled for Poland where his wife is from. He joined Stelmet Zielona Góra as they showed that they really cared about him besides being the current Polish Champions and the opportunity to participate in the Euro Championships. Thomas kelati has come a long way from his college days and continues to inspire young people while showing his character as a family man, professional basketball player, Eritrean-American-Polish. See the youtube video link below for a buzzer beater by Thomas for his new team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpn2ark9lqM

Eri-International sports Blog will keep you posted on his season with the Polish Champions.

For Eri-International Sports Blog,

Mike Seium

Eritrean-Swede Alexander Isak to Borussia Dortmund. Could Henok Goitom be Back in Sweden?

In what has been a very anxious few months since he started to make headlines everywhere throughout the soccer/football world, young Eritrean-Swede Alexander Isak has finally inked a contract with Europe's and probably one of the best clubs in the world Borussia Dortmund. BVB as they are known by their logo are 8 times German Champions. They also happen to be the 11th biggest team in the world based on stats from big accounting firms. Borussia also happen to be a publicly traded club in the German stock market. Eri-International sports has been following this story and also reported the new developments on our
Facebook page allowing readers to follow the story as it happens.

Just a few days ago a very reputable new source "Marca" from Spain reported that Alexander Isak was ready to sign with Real Madrid. While every detail indicated that he would sign with one of the top teams in the world, after careful consideration his family and consultants as well as his own feelings quickly changed. One of the main reasons for the change of heart seems to be a very wise decision on Alex's part as Borussia Dortmund is committed to young players. Had Alexander gone to Real Madrid he would have to wait a lot longer to crack into a starting line up. Based on historical perspectives of other young players Alexander's chances to join the main team of Madrid would have taken a lot longer.

It is to be recalled that Borussia is well known for signing young players including USA national team member Christian Pulisic whose parents went to the same school as this blogger. The young American sensation of Croatian lineage has also inked a long term contract, giving Borussia a strong offensive team. To fans Eritrean fans living in Germany this is a great opportunity to watch this young man perform at the highest level.

Eritrean National Team player Henok Goitom possibly coming back to AIK Stockholm.

Some reliable sources have also indicated to us that Henok Goitom who left his team in The Swedish Premiere League last summer may join his team once again. After leaving for Getafe in the Spanish league, Henok decided to sign a short term contract in the MLS making his home at San Jose where he played a few games with the Earthquakes and had one assist with limited playing time. He also had a life changing experience as he became a father while with San Jose.

As most of you know Henok who has been a role model for many Eritrean youth and including Alexander Isak could fill in the very void space left by the young star who has now joined Borussia Dortmund. The negotiations are still going on between Henok and AIK and Eri-International sports will fill you in on the latest development.

For Eri-International Sports blog,

Mike Seium

Eritreans: New Generation of soccer stars making headlines already in 2017.

Amazing achievements that were due to pay dividends in time are starting to bear fruit in 2017 already. Young Eritreans by heritage are embarking on great success stories in the international soccer arena. 19 year old midfielder and play maker who was a member of the Swedish champion from last year IFK Norrkoping has been bought by Belgian premiere league team "KAA Gent" also known as "The Buffalo". This move comes at a time when another Eritrean star Alexander Isak is being courted by one of the world's top teams Real Madrid. Tess as he is known by his nick name was born in Eritrea and went to Sweden at a young age where he excelled as a player through the Swedish youth academy. The very elated Belgian team expressed their satisfaction as they signed the midfielder to a contract for 3.5 years. The team adds that "Tekie is a young, talented midfielder of Eritrean origin who at the age of eight moved to Sweden." Tekie was also praised by his new team as a creative midfielder with lots of skill and an excellent passer. 

                                            Tesfalidet Tekie signs with Belgium's KAA Gent.

Norrkoping traded Tess for about 16 million Swedish Kronar according to some reliable sources. It is also to be noted that Heerenveen in the Dutch premier league and French first division Lille were interested in the young man. Tesfalidet Tekie becomes one of IFK Norrkoping's top trades in a long time. It is to be recalled that Tess also played 32 games in the Swedish premier league in two seasons. The young 19-year-old was also named to the U21 national team at a young age of 18. Congratulations to Tesfalidet for his incredible achievements. 

                                             Tesfalidet Tekie should play a big role for KAA Gent.

Meanwhile in Holland a young Eritrean-Dutch by the name of Hennos Asmelash made his debut when he came in the 87th minute for his team ADO Den Haag as they took on the very same team that was attempting to buy Tesfalidet Tekie from Sweden. After being picked on the senior selection squad during the winter training camp the young Hennos left a good impression on manager Zeljko Petrovic who is the head of ADO Den Haag. Hennos Asmelash made his debut in the Premier Dutch League when he came in for Trevor David. Hennos is a strong defender and his potential is unlimited. This past fall he was also included on the national squad of the Dutch under 18 for a friendly game against Italy at the San Giorgio Stadium in Caorle. 

                                   Hennos Asmelash making his debut in the Dutch Premier League.

In a major turn of event between today Wed. January 19th, 2017 and the next coming few days the young Eritrean-Swede phenom Alexander Isak will be dotting the ink and finalizing his deal with Real Madrid. According to information from reliable sources, Real Madrid would like to keep Alexander in Spain and not allow him to go back to AIK. 

                                   Alexander Isak's new home. Here while on a visit to his new club.

He would then be playing and training with the B Team until summer time at which point he can join the main team. He would still have to fight for a slot for the right to play alongside Ronaldo. It is expected that Ronaldo may also be present at the signing and may confront Alexander about his recent statement that "Messi" of Barcelona was one of his favorite players in the spirit of sportsman. Whether Alexander stays in Sweden or leaves for Spain he is for sure to be an inspiration to millions of young people and Eritreans. 

In Conclusion:

Focus on the things that you want to do and the sky is the limit. Sport is just one medium by which you can inspire people and become the best. It must be noted that it comes in hand in hand with your well being and education. Alexander and the other two stars along with Henok Goitom, Golgol Mebrhatu and others who have represented their Eritreanism have been outstanding citizens with good values. It is within that spirit that Eri-International sports wants to share their stories with you. We will continue to inspire and uplift so that more and more young athletes in every sport, young scientists, engineers, doctors, leaders, business executives and just plain good citizens are doing their share to help build a better world and contribute to their land of origin ERITREA even if it is just signing contracts. Getting the name ERITREA out there is a huge contribution. 
Within the spirit of the many people including those who had the opportunity to become great athletes and more but decided to help make sure that "ERITREA" stays independent and becomes a thriving nation, we should always keep that in mind. 

For Eri-International Sports

Mike Seium

New year, new resolutions: Eritrean Semert Russom inspires us to stay in Shape and build our muscles.

Semret Russom is an Eritrean-American athlete and business owner whose sport may not be popular among many cultures. The sport known as Fitness Modeling requires athletes to stay in shape. As a fitness model, your body is not only your temple. You will have to keep your body in peak physical condition to be a successful model in this competitive industry. Fitness models have an athletic physique with toned muscles and very little body fat. 

Picture below courtesy of Zac Solomon.

Born in Eritrea and moving to America at a young age, Semret settled in sunny San Diego, California where other great Eritrean athletes like Olympic champion Meb Kiflezghi, & NFL star Nat Berhe also hail from. Semret moved to San Diego 23 years ago. Moving to a foreign country was challenging at first. Her love for fitness and health became a reality 5 years ago when she discovered bodybuilding bikini competition. It has changed her life tremendously. Semret used to buy fitness magazines wanting to look like the models on them, but was not aware of what it took to become a bikini competitor. It was challenging from the beginning as she had to change her eating habits, start exercising and adjusting her daily habits including eating six meals a day, drinking a gallon of water and doing cardio in the morning and weight training seven days a week.

Semret would like to share her experience and knowledge with people all over the world especially women from all cultures. Her mission in life is to help and inspire women achieve their dreams and goals by being an example. Eri-International sports blog recently was lucky enough to get a hold of Semret for an interview.

 Eri-International sports blog interview with Semret Russom on Fitness Modeling.

1. Could you tell us how you got into Fitness Modeling?

Well, I got into the sport accidentally and without looking for it. I've always enjoyed working out at the gym. One day I met someone there that invited me to a bodybuilding show. After I saw all of the beautiful women and their bodies out there on stage I knew that's what I wanted to do.

2. With the sport being a combination of modeling and also weight lifting, how were you able to manage your time?

When there something that you really want to do there is nothing that can stop you from achieving it. I managed my schedule by adding in to what I already had. I looked for spaces where I could go to the gym even if it meant getting up at four in the morning or going late at night. I wanted it so I went for it.

3. As an Eritrean did you have any worries being accepted in our community as a female athlete in a unique sport such as fitness modeling that requires muscle building and bikinis?

Yes I did have a concern about being accepted and the perception people may have. However, I realized that it was something new and that with most sports that Africans got into they end up easily dominating in most cases. I wanted to be the example to the sports industry and showing them that people from my country like myself can participate at a high level and do well in the sport. I then examined other sport industries that people from my country participated in the past and technically looking at it their uniforms showed parts of their body but no one pays attention to it in that mindset. So, I felt that this was the sport that I wanted to get into and I do understand that this is new for female and even male Eritreans but I wanted it to be ours! by taking the time and effort to compete.

4. Your sport requires people to be fit and one of the things that our community lacks collectively, especially in the diaspora is the lack of exercise, what advice can you give women and men to keep themselves fit?

  

Exercise is a must. Everyone needs it. It makes you feel better and also keeps your body healthy. The advice that I would give to others is to find time to be healthy so that they could live longer and live healthier. The added stress of the workload in the diaspora especially here in the USA can make life unhealthy but taking a small time out to exercise, eat healthy and making sure you are doing cardio but also building your body muscles is important.

5. Could you talk about the events you compete in and how you have fared so far?

I've competed in a few bodybuilding and fitness competitions. During my last competition, I scored pretty decent. Each day I try to become better and better. One day I believe I can dominate the sport by working hard and I want to represent my country of Eritrea and to stand proud because of my efforts.

6. Watching your chiseled body it may seem like you have way too much muscle to the average person especially Eritreans who may not be familiar with Fitness modeling but Eri-International sports is aware of events like yours and you are almost the perfect mix between modeling and fitness, how do you explain that to the average person and especially Eritreans?

I would tell them that muscle is beautiful you can control how you show it to others. If I flex my muscles during competition it is meant to prove my ability and hard work as you are judged by the way you look, but when I'm ready to be soft and beautiful I don't flex I just become the regular me.

7. How long did it take for your body to transform to what it is today and what are the after effects of a muscular body if there are any?

It took me a total of about four years to get to where I am today. It takes a lot of hard work, time and effort. It is also important to understand that with anything that you overdo, there's going to be a response within your body. It is very easy to over exert yourself and get over-worked. The best thing to do is, when you get to those points you take a break.

8. You seem to be an advocate for health and especially for young people, what advice do you have for the young people especially girls?

I would tell young girls and young women that they have to live with their body all of their lives.  So, it's very important to be aware that it is much easier to build your body when you're younger versus when you're older. Start off fresh and early and be conscious of your body. To Eritrean girls, I want to assure them that staying fit for your own benefit are important and also it can give you confidence to compete in any sport that you set your mind to.

9. What are your goals to help out the Eritrean community in the diaspora and at home back in Eritrea?

I would like to offer exercise classes and share my expertise in Eritrea and abroad when I'm in the United States especially to Eritreans. I would like to utilize new technology websites where people can tune in via the Internet and stay interactive by working out. I'd like to also talk and educate people about healthy eating and how it impacts the body, especially for women who are at the stage of their life where they plan to have children and give birth. I would like to stress that the healthier our bodies are the healthier our babies will be. The stronger our bodies are the stronger our children will be.

10. You will be traveling to Eritrea following this interview; do you have any plans to share ideas on fitness and modeling with people back home to raise awareness about healthy living?

Well, my trip this time is to visit family and I have no plans to do that, however if anyone reaches out to me about sharing my experiences about health while I am in Eritrea, I would be willing to talk about it and share my knowledge. I plan to stay for a few weeks starting this week and my main reason for going there is to spend time with my family and get a much needed love from them and vice versa.

11. Any other thoughts or ideas you would like to share with Eri-International sports?

Yes I would like to say to everyone that whatever you put your mind in to, the possibility of conquering it is very high, even if it looks difficult. I am a prime example of what can be achieved and as an Eritrean athlete and businesswoman who lives in the USA I will always remain passionate about my country Eritrea because it inspires me.

Thank you!

Michael Seium

For Eri-International Sports Blog