Somali Football Federation
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The British Ambassador to Somalia Matt Baugh on Wednesday joined the Prime minister of the transitional federal government (TFG) of Somalia Dr. Abdi Weli Mohamed Ali at Villa Somalia to wish the Somali Olympic team well on their journey to the to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Earlier in the day the British Ambassador met with the Somali Olympic delegation at Mogadishu airport where he and other officials from the British commission took the team through immigration formalities required to ensure trouble-free entry to the UK”.
“it is a great pleasure for me and the whole Somalia that athletes from our country take part in such big global sporting event despite Somalia suffering from decades of civil wars and terrorism” the Somali Prime minister said adding that he hoped success for the Somali athletes.
“They have been training in a very difficult situation in this war-devastated country and they are going to the world Olympic Games to share with the rest of the world—their appearance among the international sport is really a great victory for Somalia” Prime minister Dr. Abdi Weli Mohamed Ali told Wednesday’s press conference at Villa Somalia.
“It is an honour for me to meet today with the Somali Athletes and officials that will take part in the Olympic games in London on the behalf of their Somali people” the UK ambassador to Somalia told in a joint press conference with the Somali PM, the minister for youth and sport Mahmoud Jirde Hussein and the two athletes that will represent Somalia in the up coming world Olympic games.
“The Olympics are much more than a sporting celebration. They are about hope; they are about celebrating the values that bind us all together—commitment, dedication inspiration. They are about celebrating endeavor saluting achievement and bequeathing a better future to the next generation” the UK ambassador to Somalia told the joint press conference.
“The London Olympic Games will be a remembrance for both UK and Somalia---we look forward to welcoming you in London” the ambassador said adding that he was very happy to become UK’s first ambassador to Somalia after two decades of civil wars in Somalia that nearly cut the horn of Africa country from the rest of the world.
For their part the Somali minister for sport Mahmoud Jirde Hussein, his deputy Dahir Hajji Guelleh and the state minister for sport Prof Abdullahi Sheik Ali thanked the Birtish ambassador to Somalia for coming to Mogadishu and completing all necessary travel documents for the Somali Olympic team to the London 2012 world Olympic Games.
However Mohamed Hassan Mohamed and Samsam Mohamed Farah who will represent Somalia in the up coming world Olympic Games said they were happy to carry the nation’s flag on their backs.
The Somali Olympic committee deletaion will be off to London on Tuesday the 17th of July