Yusuf Saad Kamel celebrating his 1500m world title in Berlin (Photo- IAAF)

Bahrain's newly-minted world 1500m champion Yusuf Saad Kamel on Thursday spoke intimately about his two training stints in Ethiopia in 2007 and 2008.

The 26-year old, who was born in Kenya as Gregory Konchellah; did his endurance training in Addis Ababa twice in the last two years and feels attached to the East African country. "We came there with Maryam [Yusuf Jamal] and my coach Tareq Yacoob Sabt and enjoyed it," he said. "There are lots of training places in Addis Ababa which was really important."

While in Addis Ababa, Kamel also had the opportunity to meet Ethiopia's long distance stars like Kenenisa Bekele and Meseret Defar. "They are really nice people," he said. "I visited Kenenisa and Meseret at their homes and they were open minded and very hospitable. It was a nice time."

Kamel beat Ethiopia's Derese Mekonnen to take victory in the 1500m final at the world championships, but is already open to the idea of getting back. "It is a nice place," he said. "I loved the food, especially injera [a pancake made of the grain staple teff and consumed with a stew]."