The Somali Olympic delegation was well-received in Paris on Friday ahead of next week’s opening ceremony of the world’s biggest sporting event, [the Olympic Games] which is to be hosted in Paris, France from 26 July 2024 to 11 August 2024.
Somali Olympic Committee which depends on the International Olympic Committee as its sole source of income, is represented in this year’s Olympic event by athlete Ali Idow Hassan, who has been undergoing training sessions in neighboring Ethiopia for the last four years.
Thanks go to Somali NOC General Secretary, Mohamed Abdo Haji, who did everything in his capacity to send several athletes for training in Ethiopia and ensured Somalia’s successful participation in many competitions such as the recent All African Games in which Somalia won a medal and the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
The Somali Olympic Delegation may be small, but the fact they are here shows progress.
As usual only one or two athletes represent countries like Somalia which are not able to send a large delegation of different sport to the Olympic Games due to a number of difficulties in the country. Local financial contribution is vital for the development of every sport, but Somali NOC lacks this as it receives no income from local sources.
Ali Idow’s Recent Achievements
Ali Idow Hassan, who will represent Somalia in the 800M race of the Paris 2024, has so far made tangible achievements in 2023 and 2024.
In 2023 Ali Idow won 3rd place in the 1500M race of the Arab Championship held in Morocco, while in 2024 he won a gold medal in the Djibouti Meeting 1500M race. He also finished 5th place in the 800M and 1500M events in the African Championship, Cameroon 2024, while also finishing 4th place in the 2024 Dubai Meeting.
Somali NOC General Secretary, Mohamed Abdo Haji, said that the country hopes to increase its athletes participating in a number of continental and international competitions in the next few years, while his committee also wants to have a greater participation in Los Angles 2028.
“Upcoming are Islamic Games 2025 in Saudi Arabia, Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Senegal which will be the first time an International Olympic event is hosted on African soil and as well as All African Games 2027,” Somali Olympic Committee General Secretary, Mohamed Abdo Haji said. He added that NOCSOM is getting ready for a marathon task in the next few years. “We are hopeful of winning medals from those competitions” Haji noted.
Somalia lacked a fully functioning central government since the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre in 1991 and since then the country suffered from prolonged civil wars, terrorism and droughts which made the country’s government unable to invest in its sport.
Somali Olympic Delegation
But the National Olympic Committee with the help from international Olympic Committee was able to revive the country’s sport in 1993 and from that date to the present time NOCSOM and its sporting federations have been able to wave the Somali flag at international sporting gatherings.
The Somali Olympic Delegation is keen to represent the country at such an important event. Many sporting administrators urged the Somali government to promote peace through sport and this delegation’s arrival in Paris is a great example of success.
