Somali Sprinter Finishes Last Place In 100m Race At Chengdu Games
The video of a Somali sprinter finishing a 100m race dead last at the World University Games in China has gone viral.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports should step down. It's disheartening to witness such an incompetent government. How could they select an untrained girl to represent Somalia in running? It's truly shocking and reflects poorly on our country internationally. pic.twitter.com/vMkBUA5JSL
— Elham Garaad ✍︎ (@EGaraad_) August 1, 2023
Shortly after the race, Somalia’s sports minister Mohamed Barre Mohamud publicly apologised, adding that he did not know how she’d been selected.
The ministry then ordered the suspension of the national athletics federation chairwoman Khadija Aden Dahir.
This was amid allegations that the sprinter was her relative and could compete at the games because of their connection.
Somali sprinter finishes 100m race last
The Associated Press (AP) News reported that 20-year-old Nasra Abukar Ali ran the 100m race on Tuesday (1 Aug).
The clip of the race at the World University Games in China has since gone viral on Twitter.
In the video, she starts lagging behind almost immediately after the race begins, soon disappearing from the frame altogether.
Source: @EGaraad_ on Twitter
This apparently did not diminish her spirit, as she even did a little skip upon crossing the finish line.
Source: @EGaraad_ on Twitter
According to AP News, Nasra Abukar completed the race 10 seconds after the winner, who finished it in 11.58 seconds.
After the clip made the rounds on social media, many criticised her selection for the competition.
Elham Garaad, a Twitter user, said the scene reflected poorly on Somalia.
Mowliid Haji Abdi, a senior journalist, urged the authorities to hold the people behind the selection accountable.
Sports minister apologises for selection
AP News reported that the sports minister apologised publicly for the incident on Wednesday (2 Aug). He added that his ministry did not know how her selection came to be.
In addition, AP News said there were allegations of Nasra Abukar Ali being related to the national athletics federation chairwoman, Khadija Aden Dahir.
It was alleged that this connection allowed her to have the chance to participate in the games.
On 3 Aug, the ministry released a statement with the preliminary findings of their investigations into the matter.
Source: @MoysFGS on Twitter
They confirmed with the Somali National Olympic Committee that there was no registered Somali University Sports Association.
Nasra Abukar was also neither a sportsperson nor a runner. Khadija Aden Dahir had thus engaged in acts of nepotism, abusing her power and defaming her nation’s name internationally.
As a result, the ministry directed the Olympic committee to suspend the chairwoman.
They have additionally expressed their intention to pursue legal action against her and other individuals responsible for the falsification of the Somali University Sports Association.
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Featured image adapted from Daily Star and NBC News.
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