A viral video of a seemingly inexperienced runner skipping across the finish line in last place at an international race led to the suspension of a Somali sports referee for favoritism.
In the video, Nasro Abukar Ali can be seen racing in the third heat of the women’s 100-meter event during the opening round of the Summer World University Games of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in China. The video was extensively shared on Wednesday. Ali stumbles out of the gates while the other runners sprint ahead, falls far behind the pack, and then jogs to the finish line before finishing with a tiny skip.
She finished in 21.81 seconds, more than 8 seconds behind the runner who came in second, and more than 10 seconds slower than the heat’s victor. Anger, skepticism, and ridicule were all expressed in response to the video as soon as it went viral on social media. One user, whose post garnered over 47 million likes on Twitter (now renamed to X), expressed their dismay at witnessing an inept government.
They find it disheartening that Somalia chose an untrained girl to represent the nation in a leadership role, which they believe reflects poorly on the country’s international standing. The situation is described as truly shocking by this user. Khadijo Aden Dahir, the head of the Somali Athletics Federation, was reportedly suspended, as stated in an announcement released on Wednesday by the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sports. The ministry tweeted a letter to the Somali National Olympic Committee, accusing Dahir of engaging in “acts of abuse of power, nepotism, and defaming the name of the nation in the international arena.”
Ali was not “a sportswoman nor a runner,” according to Somali Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Barre Mohamud. Forbes claims that Mohamud previously “apologized” for the event in a Facebook video. He said in Somali, “What happened today was not representative of the Somali people,” according to Forbes. Although the letter mentioned nepotism, no direct link between Dahir and Ali was found.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Association of Somalia Universities said that it had not sent any runners to the competition. The Ministry of Youth and Sports stated in a letter on Wednesday that there was no “registered Somali University Sports organization,” despite an investigation finding this, without going into further detail about the organization or its function in the tournament.
The ministry further stated in the letter that it planned to “seek legal action against the Chairman of the Athletics Federation of Somalia as well as those accountable for the falsification of the Somali University Sports Association.” CNN has contacted the FISU event’s organizers, the Somali National Olympic Committee, Somali Athletics Federation, and World Athletics for comment on Mohamud through the East African nation’s Sports Ministry.
Top Female ultramarathon Runner Disqualified For Using Car during a Race
The Summer World University Games are currently taking place in Chengdu, located in the southwest region of China.
- Misleading Video Alters Prime Minister Shehbaz’s Speech Targeting Political Rival, Not His Party - 21/04/2024
- ATC Grants Three-Day Remand for Suspects in Ichhra Bazaar Harassment Case - 19/03/2024
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh Lead World in Severe Smog Crisis, Exceeding WHO Guidelines - 19/03/2024
