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Somalia: Somali athletes ready for London Olympics

July 15, 2012 · 3216913 Comments2012-07-15+16%3A04%3A00goth+Mohamed

MOGADISHU, July 15 (Xinhua) — Following months of strenuous and sometimes dangerous training sessions in Mogadishu, one of the lawless cities in the world, two Somali Olympic hopefuls are now ready to compete in London Games.

The duo, Zamzam Mohamed Farah and Mohamed Hassan Mohamed Tayow, have been selected by the Somali Athletics Federation after they qualified for the Games in local competitions and deemed the best that could present the war ravaged horn of Africa nation.

“The athletes have been trained for six months,” Ahmed Ali Abikar, coach of the Somali athletes told Xinhua in Mogadishu.

Abikar said the athletes are now ready for the challenge and expressed hope that the duo will do better at London Olympics unlike the previous Games when Somali athletes came last.

“We don’t want to be the last this time around just like the previous seasons but we want to come at the forefront of the competitions,” Coach Abikar said.

The two Somali athletes have been through rigorous training along the bullet riddled street of the Somali capital and had to brave the explosions and attacks by Islamist group of Al-Shabaab against Somali government and African Union troops.

Zamzam Farah who will take part in the women’s 400 meters race, said her long and daily training sessions will help her in London Olympic Games.

“It was tough but we had to do this because of our country. We had to go through the most unimaginable places in Mogadishu for running through the city streets in early morning and in the afternoon,” said 18-year old ZamZam Farah.

The Somali Athletics Federations is responsible for the selection and training of the athletes and officials said they had to do up with the most basic equipment to train the Somali athletes.

Most of the country sports facilities have been destroyed through the two decades of conflict and neglect.

Only one stadium has been partially repaired but the scars of 20 years of conflict are very visible on the concrete steps used as the seating for the spectators.

Mohamed Mohamed, the second Somali athlete who will take part in the men’s 1,500 meters run, said their participation is more than getting medals. He said it is about showing to the world that Somalia is more than wars, famine and drought.

“As the athletes taking part in London Olympics on behalf of Somalia, we hope to bring a big victory for our country unlike in previous years Somalia was known to come at the last. This year will be different because we have put in a lot of training and effort. God willing Somalis will be at the forefront of the races for the entire world watching to see in Britain and elsewhere,” the 19-year-old Mohamed said as he was practicing in Mogadishu.

Somalia has been taking part in every Olympics since the country’s government collapsed in 1991.

The Somali Olympic Committee, which has lost its head and that of the Football Federation in a suicide bomb blast early in the year, managed to organize sports events in the capital, Mogadishu, and in other provinces.

Special Report: London Olympics 2012

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By goth Mohamed

Tags: Somalia: Somali athletes ready for London Olympics

kismayo man says:

ever since Somali republic was born,everything was concentrated in Mogadishu. the police the sport, the institutions. one example is the Olympic athletes. every time they select the runners from Mogadishu. and every time they failed.this has been going on since 1960. why don't they try from different region? what about baladweyne kismayo bosaso borama? doing the same thing and expecting different results

12:20 pm on July 15, 2012

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- kaboon says:
  
  the ones from somaliland have succeeded. look at mohamed farah, abdi bileh etc
  
  2:24 pm on July 15, 2012
  
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  - abdulkadir says:
    
    brother where ever somalian people is came from is somali nationality or citisen not qabiil or region get brain.
    
    10:56 pm on July 15, 2012
    
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  - wanlaweyn says:
    
    Abdi bille will be the flag bearer in london 2012. broi dont care if abdi bille is from sool orhiiraan what matters to meis when they carry the sky blue flag.that is why i whish MO Farah success but frankly i am not so exited as he will be carrying non somali flag.
    
    4:17 am on July 16, 2012
    
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- abdulkadir says:
  
  yes bruv u are right 4 that but the capital is the main sport centre in somalia but as u said the best athlete or sports somalian citizens came from outside the capital it needs to be arranged ciyaaraha gobolada then we can get somalian sport's man or women who can present somalia nation,
  
  10:54 pm on July 15, 2012
  
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  - kismayo2 says:
    
    the capital got many facilities agree but i swear if we got runners from rural areas i believe we can win the 10000 and 5000 like kenyans and ethiopians. do you know this east African runners are from the bush? city people can not run. fact Europeans proved that. it is rare. we need proper reer baadiyas who have never used public transport. this reer xamar have been drinking too much shaah and eating papaya and sweats.watch them fail just like last 40 years.
    
    4:25 am on July 16, 2012
    
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    - saalim says:
      
      read what ahmed said every region specialized some area in Athletics. sometimes eating papay or sweat fruit will make you strong That is why They are good playing football baskepall & boxing.
      
      6:07 am on July 16, 2012
      
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      - saalim says:
        
        baskeball…..
        
        6:08 am on July 16, 2012
- ahmed says:
  
  Agree, Athlet’s should be selected all over somalia and also gifted talented one must be part of selection.
  
  may be it is The climate or The diet nothern somalia use to produce good marathon runners including 5000m-10,000m.
  
  Central somalia use come from The best vollyball players in whole of africa infact won twice african championship, also use to have good long jumpers & high jumpers.
  
  From mogadishu all The way to kismayu use to produce good football & baskeball players & boxers.
  
  2:13 am on July 16, 2012
  
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Mohamd says:

Somalia is a very confused country. They use "Somali" and yet they cannot understand its magnitude. When you brand yourselves with an ethnicity such as "Somali", it means you have to look beyond borders even if such "Somalis" are in the UK, USA etc.

But nay, Mr Unuka and Boowe will explain to you differently because they have no respect for "Somalia", "Somali" or even Islam. After the games finish or before they even begin, such two will quickly apply for asylum as refugees from UN camps in Kenya. The UK authorities better take their finger prints early if they want to detect bogus asylum seekers.

2:57 pm on July 15, 2012

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- ahmed says:
  
  Not true somalia is confuse country put it’s manipulated one.
  
  The word”somali” is ethnicity as long as your muslim speak somali language it does not matter where you live,south+north+central+NFD+westren somalia or abroad.
  
  These guys,nay+mr unuka+xoow sheega+aka+boowe+waryaadee iminkada & so on are all somalis by ethnicity They are just using different software application.
  
  It is not only somalis seek asylum when opportunity knocks put all Third world countries do. already now some ethiopian athletes defect asking asylum.
  
  1:40 am on July 16, 2012
  
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khaatumo citizen says:

good luck hopefully they'll win. ''fingers crossed''

4:55 pm on July 15, 2012

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Abdulkadir says:

I hope one day it comes somalian nation understands what it means nation not divided and will support who ever is somalian citisen who can win medal that can make next generation proud to be somali and can help to build next generations future with civilised country and educated.

11:02 pm on July 15, 2012

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