Former Olympic champion's coach confesses to “Echorouk”

Few days after his return from the Pekin Olympic Games, the Athletics coach Ammar Brahmia paid a visit to “Echorouk” newsroom to expound the Algerian participation seizing this opportunity to talk with his habitual frankness about the latent crisis which undermines the development of the Algerian Athletics.

• Most of the rewarded prepared at heights
•  Replying to some experts’ declarations who belittled the importance of preparations at heights saying that there is no difference with preparations at sea level, Brahmia said “They have to go back to the athletes’ results in the major tournaments such as the world championships and the Olympic Games to notice that most of the winners prepared at heights, for instance Rachid Ramzi who snatched the gold in the 1500 metres competition lives in Ifrane (Morocco), the same thing with the 800 meter gold medallist, Bangui and his fellow citizen Bekelle  both of them live in Kenya. There are several other examples and everybody knows that the former Olympic and world Champion, Noureddine Morcelli was preparing in Mexico”.
• The discipline’s results in Pekin were chaotic, and I endorse responsibility
• As to the athletes’ poor performances during the Olympics, Brahmia admitted that they were simply “chaotic” adding “ I will not flee my responsibility, I‘ve never promised medals for the Algerian people but from the bottom of my heart, I wanted to make them happy by ,at least, qualifying to the 1500 meter  final race”.
• But added that we couldn’t expect more that this from athletes who received 3 thousand Euros each to prepare the competition, while the average sum for the preparation of world class athletes reaches more than a million dollar each.
• Brahmia drew a parallel when dealing with the Federation’s grant to the athletes saying that accomplished athletes such as Boukenza and Zerk Al Ain were neglected while a modest 400 meter hurdles athlete was allotted 9 thousand Euros to receive treatment only because her father was a top official at the same federation.
• I will not take part in another masquerade at 2012 London games  
• Brahmia said he was tired and will not lie again on the Algerian people as it was the case between 2004-2008, because the athletes I represent are marginalized and do not receive the appropriate help finding myself making promises I cannot keep. Urgent and profound changes are necessary otherwise I will not be part in the next Olympic Games.
• Some important facts in his life:
• Ammara Brahmia was a former Algerian champion in the 1500 meter discipline who turned coach of the same speciality within the most prestigious Algerian club (Mouloudia club of Algiers). He was also a manager and a head of a delegation in addition of intense partisan activities.
• He holds a master in law and was former university teacher. In the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games he was appointed as head of the Algerian delegation turning to be the youngest chief of a delegation in the Algerian history. He was 33.