The chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation has been suspended for nepotism after a sprinter went viral for a sluggish performance in an international competition.
Nasra Abukar Ali, 20, took 21.81 seconds to finish the 100m race, almost double the time it took the race winner at the World University Games in China on Tuesday.
An investigation by the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sport has since declared that Ali is “not a sports person, nor a runner.”
A sports body known as the Somali University Sports Association was also found to not exist, suggesting documents had been falsified to allow Ali to compete in Chengdu.
The suspension of Khadijo Aden Dahir, the chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation, was announced by the ministry in a letter to the Somali national Olympic committee alleging “acts of abuse of power, nepotism and defaming the name of the nation in international arena”.
The organisation has not officially addressed reports circulating on social media that Dahir is Ali’s aunt.
Sports Minister Mohammed Barre Mohamud apologised to fellow Somalis for the debacle.
He said: “What happened yesterday was not representation of the Somali people… we apologise to the Somali family.”
The Somali Athletics Federation will now open an investigation into how Ali was selected.
REUTERS
He added: “The Ministry of Youth and Sport firmly declares its intention to pursue legal action against both the Chairman of the Athletics Federation of Somalia and individuals responsible for the falsification of the Somali University Sports Association.”
The Association of Somali Universities said on their Facebook page that it had not entered an athlete to compete in the event.
The winner, Gabriela Mourao, from Brazil, clo cked a time of 11.58 seconds in the event.
Onlookers were left stunned by the sheer distance between Ali and the rest of the pack, with some branding the performance the “slowest ever” 100m.
ATHLETICS IN FOCUS:
The winner, Gabriela Mourao, from Brazil, clocked a time of 11.58 seconds in the event.
REUTERS
One social media user, Elham Garaad, wrote: "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."
They added: “That's the niece of the President of the Somali Athletics Federation. What [are] you expecting?”
Garaad earlier posted a screenshot of a Facebook post put out by Dahir appearing to congratulate her niece on being selected for the University Games though this is unconfirmed.
The Somali Athletics Federation will now open an investigation into how Ali was selected.
In 2016, Maryan Nuh Muse ran a tardy time of 1.10.14 in the 400m at the Rio Olympics, an event in which the average competitor clocks about 48 seconds.
