Viral video of WUG 2023 100-m horror show gets Somalia athletics chief suspended
Ali's run was marked at 21.81 seconds when she hit the finish line. (Photo Credit: Twitter/Reuters)
The Sports Minister of Somalia had to issue a public apology for allowing an untrained athlete to participate in the 100m race at the World University Games in China, which resulted in an embarrassing display for the country.
What happened?
The internet and the entire country of Somalia were outraged when Nasra Abubakar Ali, the Somali representative, delivered a disappointing performance in the 100-metre sprint race at the World University Games.
Ali's finish time was significantly longer than the winning time, prompting the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sport to conduct an inquiry, which revealed her lack of background in sports or running.
Somalia suspended the head of the country's athletics federation after a female sprinter took more than 21 seconds to complete the 100-meter race, 10 seconds behind the race winner at the World University Games https://t.co/uB1Q6pFSnU pic.twitter.com/2LxqZPgxMG
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 4, 2023
In-effect to this event, the chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation and Somalia's sports minister are now facing allegations of power abuse and defamation against Somalia.
How slow is too slow?
Nasra Abukar Ali's performance in the 100m race at the World University Games in China was rather embarrassing for the entirety of Somalia as it took her over 20 seconds to complete the distance.
Somalia has suspended a sports official for nepotism after a novice sprinter was allowed to compete in an international sports competition.
— The Instigator (@Am_Blujay) August 4, 2023
Nasra Abubakar Ali took almost twice as long as the winner to finish the 100m at the World University Games in China. pic.twitter.com/WesmsUKL4M
It was also recorded that she finished the race 10 seconds behind the winner, a fact that has initiated a heavy fire of criticism on the entire Sports ministry of Somalia.
Abukar's recent performance of 21.81 seconds is being labelled as the "all-time slowest" in an international competition, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Actions taken
On Wednesday, Khadijo Aden Dahir, the chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation, faced suspension when it was discovered that Nasra Ali Abukar is allegedly her niece. She received criticism for allegedly practising nepotism by allowing Ali to participate in the women's 100-metre race at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China.
The sports minister of Somalia publicly apologised to the Somali population for the mentioned occurrence. Additionally, he guaranteed that stringent measures would be taken and comprehensive discussions would be conducted to prevent any future instances of such nature.