Somalia

Somalia: Athletics Chief Suspended Over Sluggish 'Sprinter'

AUG 4 2023·Updated AUG 5 2023

Story

Image credit: Unsplash

The Facts

Somalia's Youth and Sports Minister Mohamed Barre Mohamud announced Wednesday that Somali Athletics Federation Chairwoman Khadijo Aden Dahir had been suspended for allegedly abusing her power, nepotism, and defaming the country.
Al Jazeera
The announcement comes after her alleged niece Nasra Abukar Ali finished a 100-meter race at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China, in 21.81 seconds, an effort dubbed the "slowest-ever" in a global contest.
New York Post
The video of Ali competing in the first round prompted ridicule, disbelief, and anger as the runner couldn't run fast enough to stay in view of the camera, jogging toward the finish line and allegedly ending with a small skip.
CNN
An investigation conducted with the nation's National Olympic Committee found that Ali was neither a sportsperson nor a runner and that there was no registered Somali University Sports Association, indicating that her documents had been falsified.
Daily Mail
Abukar is one of many Somali athletes in the spotlight for sluggish running. At the 2016 Olympics, runner Maryan Nuh Muse finished the 400-meter event in 1.10.14 minutes, when the average time was reportedly about 48 seconds.
BBC News
Meanwhile, Ali Idow Hassan, Somalia's representative in the men's 1.5K-meter race at FISU Games, finished fourth in his heat and earned a spot in the finals.
Forbes

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The poor performance of an untrained female athlete has caused embarrassment to Somalia globally. While it's inevitable that everyone involved in the selection process must step down, ministers should be focused on tackling the real issue — the incompetent and corrupt nature of the Somali institutions that have normalized murders and hunger.

Middle East Monitor

Narrative B

All this mockery and backlash are why Somalis don't deserve to be represented in international tournaments. Ali did her best to represent her country instead of abandoning the race despite suffering a sprained leg. Yet, her fellow citizens let her down by criticizing and mocking her sportsmanship.