Somalia suspends sports official over slow sprinter - BBC News (with video)
Somalia has suspended a sports official for nepotism after a novice sprinter was allowed to compete in an international sports competition.
Nasra Abubakar Ali took almost twice as long as the winner to finish the 100m at the World University Games in China. An investigation by the Somali Ministry of Youth and Sport revealed she is “not a sports person, nor a runner”.
The chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation has been accused of abusing her power and defaming Somalia. Khadijo Aden Dahir was stood down following a meeting between the country’s sport’s ministry and its National Olympic Committee.
Their preliminary investigation also found that a sports body known as the Somali University Sports Association does not exist. The ministry said it will pursue legal action against both the chairman of the Athletics Federation of Somalia and others responsible for the “falsification” of the sports group.
It did not elaborate on what the connection between Ms Dahir and Ms Ali is.
In a video of the event, the athlete is soon left out of shot and eventually completes the race with a jovial skip. The novice athlete completed the race in 21.81 seconds - more than 10 seconds behind the eventual winner.
The incident is not the first time Somalia has sparked controversy with its choice of athletes at international athletics events.
In 2016, Maryan Nuh Muse ran a sluggish time of 1.10.14 in the 400m at the Rio Olympics. The average time for the event is about 48 seconds.
At the 2012 Olympics in London, Zamzam Mohamed Farah clocked a time of 1:20:48 - some 30 seconds behind the winner.
Since the lady does not appear to have the physique of a 100m runner, I wonder why no official at the World University Games in China checked her credentials or indeed why no other athlete looked askance at such an unlikely participant … 
