A video of an unfit sprinter who raced against athletes went viral yesterday and became a laughingstock of many.
It turned out that it was not a comedy skit, ala Borat. The woman was a legit representative of Somalia for the World University Games in China.
How did she get there? The Somalia Sports Minister allegedly treated the games like a Make-A-Wish foundation.
Sports Minister Mohamed Barre Mohamud apologized for the embarrassment. He also told reporters that the woman, identified as Nasra Abukar Ali, had no credentials to participate in the competition. Neither her body has the features to run with the world's best.
The Somali Athletics Federation chief is being pointed to as the mastermind and is now suspended by the Sports Ministry, with legal action being eyed.
"Khadijo Aden Dahir, the Chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation, has engaged in acts of abuse of power, nepotism, and defaming the name of the nation in (the) international arena," the minister said in a statement.
Who is Nasra Abukar Ali?
Nasra Abukar Ali's performance garnered various reactions online. Some were in disbelief; others found it comical. Ali herself seemed not to mind if she finished last. She's just happy to be there.
Others found it straight-up funny, even suggesting that the sports world should find a gem in the situation. Professional sports organizations should include ordinary people to gauge these athletes' differences.
Details about the untrained representative remain scarce.
The Somali Athletics Federation did not elaborate on the nepotism charges, but an X user, whose video of Ali's run went viral, said she is the Athletics Federation chief's niece.
If this is indeed true, then it can be said that Khadijo really treated the University Games like a Make-A-Wish foundation.
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