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Slowly But Surely: Record-Breaking Runner Cause Firing of Somalia's Head of Athletics

CC BY-SA 4.0 / mk2010 (Malcolm Koo) / An all-weather running track (photo taken at the Dalin Sports Park, Chiayi, Taiwan)
An all-weather running track (photo taken at the Dalin Sports Park, Chiayi, Taiwan) - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 03.08.2023
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Earlier, the country's sports minister apologized and promised to investigate the track and field athlete who did not represent Somalia in the best way at a competition in China, but raised a smile among social media users due to the very slow performance.
Somalia's Olympic Committee has suspended Chairwoman of the Somali Athletic Federation Khadijo Aden Dahir following a scandal at the Summer Universiade.
The incident revolves around Nasro Abukar Ali from Somalia, who ran 100 meters in 21.81 seconds at the Universiade in Chengdu (China), and amazed netizens with her "agility," having lagged behind her rivals by 10 seconds.
The media said that the athlete's run was the slowest 100-meter race in history at an international competition, and the track and field athlete herself was called "unprepared with limited experience in races."
Somalia's Sports Ministry said in a statement that Abukar Ali has been identified as neither a "sports person nor a runner."
The authorities blamed the incident on the head of athletics Aden Dahir, who had "abused her power" and disgraced Somalia in an international competition.
"Khadijo Aden Dahir has engaged in acts of abuse of power, nepotism, and defaming the name of the nation in international arena," the ministry explained.
As netizens revealed, Abukar Ali is the niece of the Chairwoman of the Somali Athletic Federation.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya celebrates after breaking the World Record and winning in the Women's One Mile event during the IAAF Diamond League Herculis athletics meeting at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco, on July 21, 2023 - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 22.07.2023
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The same day, the country's Olympic Committee backed the ministry's verdict, saying that Aden Dahir "had committed power abuse and nepotism by selecting a person with no sports background."
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