ASMC Course Concludes in Somalia

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

The 15 month-long Olympic Solidarity-funded Advanced Sports Management Course "ASMC" has successfully come to an end during a colorful conclusion ceremony held at the Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu on Thursday morning.
 
During the ceremony, 19 participants from national federations and universities were certified for their commitment and dedication during the course. Somali NOC said 20 participants attended the course but unfortunately one of them died while the rest 19 completed it successfully.

Somali Olympic committee Secretary General Abdullahi Ahmed Tarabi who first addressed the closing ceremony said the course was the first of its kind ever held in Somalia.

"For the past two decades, Somali sports were doing well. But now, we hope to develop more since we had this successful course," the Somali NOC secretary General told the participants in the closing ceremony.

The president said Somali NOC and the international Olympic committee worked so hard to implement a successful advanced sports management course in Somalia, adding that more other courses will be held in regions across the country.

"The successful end to the course shows that we have achieved some of our dreams. Spearheading this course was part of our strategy plan for 2011-2014 and that is why I am saying we have achieved some of our important goals," Somali National Olympic committee president Duran Ahmed Farah told participants.

The president said he was very grateful to the international Olympic committee and the Olympic solidarity for their moral and financial support that helped the promotion of spors in Somalia during the past two decades.

Somali minister for labor, social affairs, youth and sport Mahmoud Jirde Hussein also thanked Somali Olympic committee and its affiliated federations for the commendable job they have been doing in the country, saying that history will always be mentioning the flag carriers of Somali sports of whom so many of them were killed during their duties.
 
"I hereby declare that the ministry of sport is always with Somali NOC and I pledge here in front of you that the ministry is committed to help the development of our sports," he said.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze. Read more stories by Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar.