Nasra Abukar was selected as the chosen athlete for Somalia.
There was controversy at the FISU World University Games after the athlete chosen to represent Somalia in the 100m broke the world record for the slowest time.
Nasra Abukar was selected to compete in the 31st Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China completed the race in 21.81 seconds, with some claiming she set a new “record for the slowest finish”.
Abukar was named as an “untrained athlete” and the 20-year-old was unable to compete with the rest of the track, with cameras picking her up crossing the finishing line around 10 seconds after Gabriela Silva Mourao, who clocked a time of 11.58 seconds.
While it is clear that Abukar was not a professional athlete, the decision to field her in the race has caused controversy with some claims suggesting that she is the niece of Khadija Aden Dahir, the senior vice president of the Somali Athletics Federation.
Somalia’s Ministry of Sports Minister, Mohamed Barre has since confirmed that an investigation will be launched to determine how the 20-year-old was selected, describing the situation as an “embarrassment” for the country.
Reports have added that Abukar told Chinese media that she still has “a lot left in the tank” and has plans to race at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Somalia's Ministry of Sports has pledged to investigate the selection process that led to an underprepared athlete representing Somalia at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China.
The controversy centers around Nasra Abukar, a 20-year-old with limited running… pic.twitter.com/ZMVVyyFdFJ
— Somalia Live Update (@HassanIstiila) August 2, 2023
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