The Citizen Daily
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Somalia’s Olympic Committee president Aden Yabarow and head of the national soccer federation Said Mohamed Nur were among 10 people killed in the blast best described as an act of barbarism.
Several others were injured when a female suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the newly reopened national theatre in Mogadishu during a ceremony also attended by top government officials.
The explosion happened as Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was standing at the podium to deliver a speech. Fortunately, the premier was unharmed.
In 2010, two football fans in the war-torn country were killed by militants as they watched a World Cup match on TV. Members of the HIzbul Islam group stormed a house where fans were watching Nigeria play Argentina. More than 10 fans were arrested.
Wednesday’s suicide attack comes at a time when Somalia’s athletes are preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games, which are due in July. This violence is a crushing blow to efforts by the world soccer body, the Federation of International Football Associations, the International Olympic Committee and the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations to restore peace in Somalia through sports.
In the past three or so years, both Yabarow and Nur were engaged in improving the lives of the Somali people through sports.
The sports fraternity worldwide shares the grief of the people of Somalia. That country’s sports authorities must not allow such outrageous attacks to derail their commitment to turning around their country’s sports fortunes.