Sports in Somalia

Last updated

Abdi Bile, Somalia's most decorated athlete and holder of the most national records. Bile Abdi (482x321).jpg
Abdi Bile, Somalia's most decorated athlete and holder of the most national records.

Sports in Somalia are regulated by the Ministry of Sports of Somalia. The government ministry works closely with the Somali Olympic Committee and various sports governing bodies, including the Somali Football Federation. Abdi Bile from Las Anod is Somalia's most decorated athlete in history; Abdi Bile also holds the highest number of Somali national records. The longest continuously serving national team captains of Somalia's two most popular sports, basketball and football, are Yusuf Qaafow and Hasan Babay respectively. [note 1]

Contents

History

In the late 1920s, Italian authorities began to organize sport in Somalia. The Italian-organized sports were initially concentrated only in the capital Mogadishu and practiced by Italian Somalis. [1]

In 1931 governor Maurizio Rava created the Federazione Sportiva della Somalia, which organized competences of athletics, tennis and football and promoted the first sport activities among the young native population. In 1933 the first Somali football championship was created, called Coppa Federazione Sportiva, with three teams ("Societa' Mogadiscio", "Marina" and "Milizia") from the capital. In 1938 the football championship was won by the "Amaruini" team, made up mainly of local Somalis; in 1939 the winning team was the "Araba".

In 1938 competitions of other sports, like swimming, basketball, athletics and cycling, were held: the boxing was practiced by Ballin Nur and Isac Barrachi, two Somalis champions with international fame. [2] In 1938 Mogadishu's first auto race (the "Circuito di Mogadiscio") was held. [3]

After World War II, motorcycle races were held in Mogadishu: [4] the "Circuito Mogadiscio" was done only with motorcycles races and was called Gran Premio Motociclistico della Somalia (GP Motorcycle of Somalia). It was celebrated from 1950 until 1954, when the Italian government obtained the "Somalia Trusteeship" from the ONU. The race was held on the coastal streets of Mogadiscio, near the port and on "Lungomare Corni", [5] and was more than one mile long. [6]

In 1956 the first stadium in Somalia was built by the Italian National Olympic Committee: [7] the Banadir Stadium in Mogadishu. In 2008, BBC Somali correspondent Maxamed Xaaji Xuseen described Abdi Bile as "yahay ciyaartoyda ugu caansan ee soo marta taariikhda Soomaaliya", which roughly translates as Abdi Bile is Somalia's most famous athlete in history, or Abdi Bile is the greatest athlete in Somalia's history. [8] The Somalist scholar Cabdiraxmaan Cismaan Aw Aadan, in his 2014 list of 100 most notable Somalis, listed Abdi Bile as the greatest Somali athlete in general. [9]

Football

Gedo province football trophy. 2002cup.jpg
Gedo province football trophy.

Football is the most popular sport amongst Somalis. The first football teams in Somalia were established in the 1930s by the Italian colonial authorities. The competitions were basic in structure, and were associated with the anti-colonial movement after WW2. The Somali Youth League (SYL), the nation's first political party, had put together a team of local youth to play against the Italian expatriate teams.

In 1955 -during the Trust Territory of Somalia under Italian administration- was created the first football stadium in Mogadishu: the Coni Stadium, later called Banadir Stadium. The teams that played a Trust Territory of Somalia championship with the stadium inauguration were: "Lavori Publici", "Autoparco", "El Gab", "Sicurezza", "Somali Police FC" and "AS Mogadiscio". [10]

In 1958, the first commissioner for sport in Somalia was also established. The football squad that the SYL had assembled, which would later change its name to Bondhere, won the first several competitions. However, it was not as successful in its early forays against foreign teams. Important countrywide competitions are the Somalia League and Somalia Cup. The Ocean Stars, the national team, is popularly known as the "giant killers" because of its underdog status, and the upsets it has achieved during games against better funded and established teams at continental tournaments. A multi-ethnic squad, Somalia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1972 and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games since then. The equally diverse Somali beach soccer team also represents the country in international beach soccer competitions. In addition, several international footballers such as Mohammed Ahamed Jama, Liban Abdi, Ayub Daud and Abdisalam Ibrahim play in European top leagues. On 17 December 2015, Horseed FC vs Heegan FC became the first association football match to be aired live in Somalia.

Athletics

Abdi Bile, one of the most successful athletes from Somalia, won the 1500 m World Championship in 1987, running the fastest final 800 m of any 1,500 meter race in history. He was a two-time Olympian (1984 and 1996) and dominated the event in the late 1980s. Bile was ranked first in the world at the mile distance in 1989. He was World Cup champion in the 1500 m in 1989 and two-time world Grand Prix final champion. Hussein Ahmed Salah, a Somalia-born former long-distance runner from Djibouti, won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also won silver medals in this event at the 1987 and 1991 World Championships, as well as the 1985 IAAF World Marathon Cup.

Many Somalia-born athletes have found success in the diaspora. Mohamed Suleiman, who competes for Qatar, achieved the greatest success of his career when he won the bronze medal in the Barcelona Olympics, becoming the first-ever Olympic medallist for Qatar. Throughout his career, Suleiman ran several Asian records over 1500 m and the mile run. He won the gold medal in the 1500 m representing Asia at the 1992 IAAF World Cup. Suleiman ran for Qatar at two further Olympic Games (in 1996 and 2000) and reached the event finals, although he did not make the podium. Suleiman's younger brothers Nasser and Abdulrahman Suleiman have also competed internationally in middle-distance running – Abdulrahman was the 2002 Asian champion for the 1500 m. [11]

Mo Farah holds the European track record for 10,000 metres, the British road record for 10,000 metres, the British indoor record in the 3000 metres, the British track record for 5000 metres and the European indoor record for 5000 metres. In July 2010, Farah won Britain's first-ever men's European gold medal at 10,000 m. He followed this with a gold in the 5000 m at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, in Daegu, South Korea, becoming the 5th male athlete to complete the long-distance double at the championships and the first British man to do so. Mustafa Mohamed, the Somali-Swedish long-distance runner who mainly competes in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Won gold in the 2006 Nordic Cross Country Championships and at the 1st SPAR European Team Championships in Leiria, Portugal in 2009. He beat the 31-year-old Swedish record in 2007. Abdihakem Abdirahman the Somali-American long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres, won Gold for this event at the US Olympic Trials in 2008.

Basketball

Somalia's Faisal Aden set the scoring record for points in an official match between basketball national teams. Faisal Aden in 2011.jpg
Somalia's Faisal Aden set the scoring record for points in an official match between basketball national teams.

The Somalia national basketball team is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Although the squad has yet to pass the qualifications stages for the FIBA World Championship, it won a bronze medal in the 1981 FIBA Africa Championship, when Somalia hosted the tournament. [12] The team also participates in the basketball event at the Pan Arab Games.

In January 2013, national basketball team player Faisal Aden scored 59 points against the Rwanda squad. This remains the global scoring record in an official international FIBA match. [13]

Bandy

In 2013, a Somalia national bandy team was formed in Borlänge, Sweden, by Somali expats. The team later participated in the 2014 Bandy World Championship in Irkutsk and Shelekhov in Russia. [14] Six of the players took part in the Federation of International Bandy's October 2013 camp in ABB Arena, which was open to developing bandy countries. [15] The team has continued to participate in the world championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Martial arts

Faisal Jeylani Aweys receiving a taekwondo medal in Belgium. Faisal J Aweys receiving his medal on the podium after 3 hard fights in Belgium- 2014-01-30 23-43.jpg
Faisal Jeylani Aweys receiving a taekwondo medal in Belgium.

In the martial arts, the national taekwondo team is controlled by the Somali Karate and Taekwondo Federation. The governing body has been affiliated with the World Taekwondo Federation since 1997, and is based in Mogadishu. [16]

The squad takes part in international, Africa and Arab world taekwondo competitions. [17] [18] At the 2013 Open World Taekwondo Challenge Cup in Tongeren, Belgium, team members Faisal Jeylani Aweys and Mohamed Deq Abdulle took home a silver medal and fourth place, respectively. The Somali Olympic Committee has devised a special support program to ensure continued success in future tournaments. [19]

Additionally, Mohamed Jama has won both world and European titles in K1 and Thai Boxing. [20]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ see the Yusuf Qaafow and Hasan babay pages

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogadishu</span> Capital and the largest city of Somalia

Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia, and has an estimated urban population of 2,610,483. Mogadishu is located in the coastal Banadir region on the Indian Ocean, which unlike other Somali regions, is considered a municipality rather than a maamul goboleed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Lithuania</span> Overview of sports traditions and activities in Lithuania

Sportin Lithuania is governed by the Physical Education and Sports Department following the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. The Lithuanian government established the department to manage physical education in the schools and sports administration in the country. Over the next few years, Lithuanian sports organizations established membership in international governing bodies. Lithuania participated in the Winter Olympics in Albertville and has participated in every Winter and Summer Olympics since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdi Bile</span> Athletics competitor

Abdi Bile is a former middle distance runner. He holds the highest number of national records in athletics in Somalia across various disciplines. He is currently Somalia's national record holder in nine athletic disciplines, and is thus far Somalia's most decorated athlete in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali First Division</span> Football league

The Somali First Division, Somali League, or Somali Premier League, is the Somali professional league for men's association football. It has been active for over 50 years, having been established in 1967. Somalia has 12 professional clubs playing for the Somali First Division. Football is the most popular sport in Somalia. In the 1930s, Italian Colonial Authorities established some of the first teams in Somalia. In the 2021-22 season, Gaadiidka FC won the Somali First Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Somalia</span> Somalia mass media

Mass media in Somalia includes various radio, television, print and internet outlets. The federal government operates two official radio and TV networks, which exist alongside a number of private and foreign stations. Print media in the country is progressively giving way to news radio stations and online portals, as internet connectivity and access increases. In February 2013, the Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunication also launched a broad-based consultative process for the reformation of media legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazil at the 2008 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, in August 2008. Brazilian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920, except the 1928 Summer Olympics. The country is represented by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Brazil headed to the Beijing Games with its largest Olympic delegation at the time, 277 athletes, including 132 women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somalia at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Somalia first participated at the Olympic Games at the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, West Germany; the Somali Olympic Committee being recognised by the International Olympic Committee shortly prior. The nation has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games since then, boycotting in 1976 due to the inclusion of New Zealand, and in 1980 when it joined with the American-led boycott. It also did not compete in 1992 due to the ongoing effects of a famine. Somalia entered their largest contingent of athletes at the 1984 Summer Olympics, a total of seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samia Yusuf Omar</span> Somalian sprinter

Samia Yusuf Omar or Samiyo Omar was a sprinter from Somalia. She was one of two Somali athletes who competed for their nation at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Omar had grown up in Mogadishu, and trained there during the Somali Civil War despite receiving harassment from local militia groups. Her story at the Olympics was covered by the media, and her performance was well received by the crowd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banadir Stadium</span> Eng. yariisow stadium

The Eng. Yariisow Stadium, formerly known as Garoonka Banaadir Stadium, or simply Benadir Stadium in the Somali language, is a multi-use 20,000-capacity stadium in Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, that is currently used mostly for football matches. Until the 1970s, the stadium was called the Coni Stadium because it was built by the Italian Coni. It is currently being rebuilt through FIFA's Win in Africa with Africa program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Somalia</span>

Football in Somalia is run by the Somali Football Federation. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Premier League. Football is the most popular sport in Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of Somalia</span>

The National Museum of Somalia is a national museum in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It was established in 1933 by the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland. After shutting down operations in 1991, it later reopened, and presently houses a number of important historical artefacts. In September 2019, the museum was rebuilt; almost 30 years after its destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somalia at the 2012 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Somalia participated at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, which took place from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation in London marked its ninth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The delegation included one short-distance sprinter and one long-distance runner: Mohamed Hassan Mohamed and Zamzam Mohamed Farah. Both qualified for the games through wildcard places from the International Association of Athletics Federations. Farah was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Mohamed and Farah failed to advance beyond the heat stage of their respective events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italy–Somalia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Italy–Somalia relations are bilateral relations between Italy and Somalia.

Wagad Mogadishu is a Somali football club based in Mogadishu, Somalia which currently plays in Somali Second Division the second division of Somali Football.

Mogadiscio Municipality is a Somali football club based in Mogadishu, Somalia which currently plays in Somali Second Division the second division of Somali Football.

Jama Mohamed Aden is a Somali former middle-distance runner and coach who ran for Fairleigh Dickinson University as well as representing Somalia throughout the 1980s. He would go on to pursue a career in coaching world-class middle-distance athletes. He is the older brother of former competitive runner Ibrahim Mohamed Aden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vittorio di Africa</span>

Vittorio di Africa was a small town in southern Italian Somalia, created by Italian colonists in the late 1920s near the southern Shebelle river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genale</span> Historical town in southeastern Lower Shebelle, Somaliland

Genale is a town founded by Italian colonists in the southeastern Lower Shebelle region of Italian Somalia. Currently it is called Janaale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Military Administration (Somaliland)</span> 1941–1950 British control of parts of Somalia

The British Military Administration of Somaliland was the control of the regions of British Somaliland and of the former Italian Somaliland by the British from 1941 until 1949. At the end of 1949, it became a United Nations trust territory which would last from 1950 until 1960 whilst under Italian administration.

References

  1. ↑ Sport e fascismo (in Italian); p. 248
  2. ↑ Sport in fascist Somalia; p.250
  3. ↑ 1938 Car race of Mogadishu (in Italian)
  4. ↑ Postcard of the 1953 Moto race
  5. ↑ Mogadiscio postcard: Lungomare Corni in 1939
  6. ↑ "?" (PDF). Corriere della Somalia (in Italian). 7 August 1951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "AIPS Web Site - Banadir Stadium upgrade to be completed by year's end". www.aipsmedia.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  8. ↑ "BBCSomali.com | Wararka | Wareysi: Orod-yahan Cabdi Bile". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  9. ↑ Aden, Abdullahi Osman. "(DOC) BOQOLKA QOF EE SOMALI UGU CAANSAN.docx | Abdullahi Osman Aden - Academia.edu".
  10. ↑ "??" (PDF). Corriere di Mogadiscio (in Italian). 28 November 1955. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Mohan, K. P. (2002-08-12). Abdulrahman keeps up family tradition; China maintains superiority . The Hindu . Retrieved on 2010-09-04.
  12. ↑ "1981 African Championship for Men". FIBA. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Somali Aden rivals Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt's mark". FIBA. 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  14. ↑ "Swede to coach first Somalia bandy team". Radio Sweden. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "International Bandy Camp in Västerås". Svenskbandy. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "Somalia". World Taekwondo Federation. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "About us". Somali Taekwondo. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  18. ↑ Pound, Geoff (2 February 2012). "Arab Junior Taekwondo Championship to be Held in Fujairah, UAE". Fujairah in Focus. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "Somalia moves forward at world Taekwondo". Horseed Media. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  20. ↑ "Great Victory for Malta in K1 Kickboxing". Malta Independent. 10 February 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2013.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.