Professor Mohamed Ali Mohammed was re-elected as President for another four-year term at the 6th election congress of the Somali Athletics Federation (SAF) which took place today at the Naasahablood Palace Hotel in Mogadishu.
The chairman of the election committee Hajji Mohamed Ahmed Olow said that in accordance with the SAF constitution, the stakeholders must elect the SAF executive board once every four years and the elected SAF members will be in office until 2014.
Before the elections, SAF Secretary General Farah Ali Moalim, who addressed the congress said that despite the difficult situation in Somalia, the athletics authorities had done everything possible to promote athletics in the chaotic country.
"As you know, we have been actively doing our duties in the country while we also did not miss the participation of regional, continental and international conferences or competitions," the secretary general said.
"We are very grateful to all those who helped us continue our job under the hardest of circumstances and we say with a loud voice that the history of SAF will always be mentioning those who stood to help Somali athletics," Mr. Farah stated.
Just before the election, the chairman of the election committee Hajji Mohamed Ahmed Olow stood on the platform to announce the names of the candidates and asked the stakeholders to start voting.
After the results were announced, the representative of the Somali National Olympic Committee, Hajji Abdi Elmi Warame said that the nation's sports governing body was jubilant at how the election was conducted, saying that it was free and fair.
"On behalf of the Somali NOC, I hereby confirm that what has taken place here was in accordance with the IAAF constitution and I can say that the SAF has done well," the NOC representative stated.
In his turn, the Director General of the Somali Youth and Sports Ministry and former national basketball coach Saaid Mohamed Abokar said it was the fairest sporting election he ever witnessed.
"On behalf of the Somali government, I wish to praise the Somali Athletics Federation and its stakeholders for the good task they have done today," he said.
As the veteran president Prof Mohamed Ali Mohamed was re-elected in his absence, the senior Vice President Khadija Aden Dahir, on his behalf thanked all those who voted for him and pledged that the federation will redouble the work they are doing for the whole of Somalia.
"I know we have taken a very big responsibility and in front of all of you, we are swearing in the name of Allah that we will accomplish our job impartially and in accordance with the IAAF-SAF regulations," she stated.
Although 15 federations are registered in the Somali Olympic Committee, only four federations, the football, handball, basketball and athletics are actively working in the Horn of African country and that is because most of Somali NOC leaders and the authorities of some federations live in exile.
The new Executive Board members are as follows :
- Prof Mohamed Ali Mohamed - President
- Khadija Aden Dahir - Senior Vice President
- Abdulahi Abokar Alasow - 2nd Vice president
- Abdullahi Mohamed Abdulle - 3rd Vice president
- Farah Ali Moalim - Secretary General
- Ali Hassan Ali - Deputy Secretary General
- Ahmed Mahmoud Gaal - Member
- Mohamed Mahmoud Hurshe - Member
- Nadifo Sheik Abokar - Member
- Mohyaddin Hassan Wehliye - Member
- Fadumo Ali Nur Member - Member
APA