Carmelo Saglimbeni, 75, chosen for the Olympic squad in 1960 and 1964, was forced to ride in Ethiopia’s colours. Like most amateurs, he’d train by moonlight to avoid detection, but one night, he recalls, along with another local legend, Tesfalidet Hailom, he was shot at and beaten by Ethiopian troops. He moved to Italy in 1980, and recently returned to Eritrea for the first time in 35 years. ‘I thought everyone would have forgotten me,’ he said, starting to weep. ‘But the whole population of Eritrea were waiting for me to come back’