Category: Games

Somali-born Dutch runner Abdi Nageeye encouraged his friend to keep up the pace moments before the duo finished second and third in Sunday’s men’s marathon at the Olympics in Tokyo.

“Stay with me, we are going to make history! Don’t fall behind,” Nageeye urged Bashir Abdi, a Somali Belgian.

Somalia sent two athletes to the Tokyo Olympic Games, but it was the Somalis running for their adopted countries who made headlines.

Somali-born Canadian Mohammed Ahmed won silver in the men’s 5,000 meters, the first distance medal for Canada in this race. But the event that captured the attention of global audiences came in the final moments of the 42-kilometer marathon, won by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya with a time of 2:08:38.

Footage showed Nageeye encouraging his friend Abdi to cross the finish line with him. The two had trained together in France and in Ethiopia in preparation for the Games.

Speaking to VOA’s Somali service by phone Tuesday, Nageeye said he wanted to help Abdi, who suffered a muscle cramp. With 3 kilometers to go, Nageeye said he again shouted at Abdi to keep up.

“‘Bashir, stay with me. We are making history,'” Nageeye repeated in the interview.

Nageeye said his friend kept pace but fell behind again. He said television viewers only saw the race’s final moments, but he said he encouraged Abdi three times late in the race.

Nageeye said he wanted to sprint for the last 800 meters but held off, waiting for Abdi, until the final 400 meters. Cameras captured Nageeye gesturing toward Abdi to keep up. Nageeye came in second, winning a silver medal with a time of 2:09:58. Abdi came in next, at 2:10:00, earning bronze.

“I was not doing it to be famous but was doing it for my friend and brother,” Nageeye said.

“I risked my position,” he said. “Even Bashir could have overtaken me or the Kenyan” — Lawrence Cherono, who finished fourth — “could have taken advantage of it. But I had that feeling; I did not want to leave him behind.”

Helping his friend and competitor was instinctive, Nageeye said. “I knew something was wrong because he was also a little stronger than me in training, and he is a good athlete. Amazing that I did that. It was a natural reaction from me toward him because of our brotherhood, our heritage. We are both Somali. We are both friends. We train together.”

The public’s response left him happily surprised, Nageeye said.

“After one day, it was crazy. The whole world is talking about it. I just came from the king of the Netherlands — he was talking about it,” Nageeye said of Willem-Alexander. “Every person is talking about that moment and not about my medal. I’m very happy for that.”

Source: Voice of America

The West African country of Guinea has reversed an earlier decision to pull out of the Olympics and will send a delegation of five athletes to the Tokyo Games.

Minister of Sports Sanoussy Bantama Sow made the announcement Thursday after national and international outcries that followed an earlier declaration that Guinea would not send athletes to Tokyo, blaming the coronavirus and its variants.

“The Minister of State, Minister of Sports has the true pleasure of informing the people of Guinea and the whole sports family, that the government, after obtaining guarantees from the health authorities, agrees to the participation of our athletes in the 32nd Olympics in Tokyo,” the minister said in a statement.

Guinea had announced late Wednesday that it was canceling its participation to protect the health of its athletes.

Only days before the statement, Guinean Olympic committee secretary general Ben Daouda Nassoko had told The Associated Press that funds had been released for the delegation to go to Tokyo.

Fatoumata Yarie Camara, a freestyle wrestler, was one of the five athletes affected by the decision.

She confirmed, through tears of joy, that she would be departing for Tokyo. She had earlier questioned the decision to pull out.

“The question I ask myself is why has Guinea decided not to participate in the Olympic Games on the grounds of coronavirus when the organizing country like Japan hasn’t canceled these Games because of this sickness,” she told the AP. “Why? That’s what I ask myself and I still can’t find an answer.”

The other Guinean athletes are swimmers Mamadou Tahirou Bah and Fatoumata Lamarana Toure, 100-meter runner Aissata Deen Conte and judo competitor Mamadou Samba Bah.

Guinea has participated in the Olympics 11 times but has never won a medal. North Korea is the only country to pull out of the Tokyo Olympics, also citing concerns related to COVID-19.

Source: Voice of America

This could be it for Caster Semenya and the Olympics.

Forced out of her favorite race by World Athletics’ testosterone rules, the two-time Olympic champion in the 800 meters took a late shot at qualifying for Tokyo in the 5,000 meters, an event not affected by the hormone regulations. She came up short.

Now 30, Semenya’s hopes of making it back to the Olympics are dwindling.

The South African once said she wanted to run at top track events until she was 40.

Now, her future ambitions depend on a final, long-shot legal appeal of the testosterone rules or transforming from the world’s dominant middle-distance runner into a successful long-distance athlete. That’s going to be hard for her.

Semenya is the athlete that has perhaps stoked the most controversy in track and field over the last decade. If there are no more appearances on the biggest stage, it’s been a career like no other. In 12 years at the top, Semenya has won two Olympic golds and three world championship titles, but her success has come amid near-constant interference by track authorities. She has only competed free of restrictions of one type or another for three of those 12 years.

Why can’t Semenya defend her 800 title in Tokyo

In 2018, world track and field’s governing body introduced rules it said were aimed at female athletes with conditions called differences of sex development, or DSDs. The key for World Athletics is that these athletes have testosterone levels that are higher than the typical female range. The track body argues that gives them an unfair advantage. Semenya is the highest-profile athlete affected by the regulations, but not the only one.

The rules demand that Semenya lower her testosterone levels artificially — by either taking birth control pills daily, having hormone-blocking injections or undergoing surgery — to be allowed to run in races from 400 meters to one mile. Semenya has simply refused to do that, pointing out the irony that in a sport where doping is such a scourge, authorities want her to take drugs to be eligible to run at the Olympics.

“Why will I take drugs?” Semenya said in 2019. “I’m a pure athlete. I don’t cheat. They should focus on doping, not us.”

But she can run the 5,000?

Yes. Strangely, World Athletics decided to only enforce the testosterone rules for track events from 400 meters to one mile, raising criticism from Semenya’s camp that the regulations were specifically designed to target her because of her dominance.

It means Semenya can compete in the 100 and 200 meters and long-distance races without lowering her testosterone levels. Field events are also unregulated. After a brief go at 200 meters, Semenya attempted to qualify for Tokyo in the 5,000 meters, running races in Pretoria and Durban in South Africa and, most recently, at international meets in Germany and Belgium last month. She never came within 20 seconds of the Olympic qualifying mark.

The court battle

Semenya continues to fight against the testosterone regulations in court. She has launched three legal appeals against the rules, calling them unfair and discriminatory, and appears determined to wage her legal fight to the very end. Having failed in appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss supreme court, Semenya has now lodged an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.

Semenya’s first appeal at sport’s highest court revealed a bitter battle between her and track authorities, centered on World Athletics’ claim in the closed-doors hearing that she was “biologically male.” Semenya angrily refuted that, having been identified as female at birth and having identified as female her whole life. She called the assertion “deeply hurtful.”

Other athletes affected

The issue won’t disappear with Semenya. Just this week, two 18-year-old female athletes from Namibia were barred from competing in the 400 meters at the Tokyo Olympics after they underwent medical tests and it was discovered they had high natural testosterone levels. One of them, Christine Mboma, is the world under-20 record holder.

The two runners that finished second and third behind Semenya at the 2016 Olympics, Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and Margaret Wambui of Kenya, have said publicly they also are affected by the testosterone regulations and have been banned from the 800, too, unless they undergo medical intervention. Niyonsaba has qualified for the Olympics in the 5,000 meters.

What now?

Semenya has been clear that the rules won’t force her out of track and she’ll keep running and keep enjoying the sport, even if she can’t go to the biggest events.

“Now is all about having fun,” she said at a meet in South Africa in April. “We’ve achieved everything that we wanted‚ all the major titles‚ inspiring the youth.”

“For me, it’s not about being at the Olympics,” she said. “It’s being healthy and running good times and being in the field for the longest.”

Source: Voice of America

Swimming caps designed for natural Black hair won’t be allowed at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, with the sport’s world governing body saying they are unsuitable due to them not “following the natural form of the head.”

The British brand Soul Cap sought to have its products officially recognized by FINA, the federation that administers international competitions in water sports, but its application submitted last year was rejected. The company makes extra-large caps designed to protect thick, curly, and voluminous hair.

The caps were barred by FINA on the grounds that to their “best knowledge, the athletes competing at the international events never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration.”

FINA described the swim caps as unsuitable due to them not “following the natural form of the head.”

The Switzerland-based governing body said Friday that it is currently reviewing the situation with Soul Cap and similar products while “understanding the importance of inclusivity and representation.”

FINA said in the statement that it is committed to ensuring all aquatics athletes have access to appropriate swimwear for competition as long as such swimwear doesn’t provide a competitive advantage.

“We don’t see this as a setback, but a chance to open up a dialogue to make a bigger difference in aquatics,” Soul Cap cofounders Toks Ahmed-Salawudeen and Michael Chapman tweeted. “A huge thanks to all who have supported us and our work so far.”

The men founded the company in 2017 after meeting a woman with natural Black hair who struggled with her swim cap. According to the company’s website, it has shipped over 30,000 swim caps to customers worldwide.

“For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial,” Ahmed-Salawudeen said in an online post. “There’s only so much grassroots and small brands can do — we need the top to be receptive to positive change.”

Alice Dearing, who will compete in marathon swimming in Tokyo as the only Black swimmer for Britain, endorses the company’s caps.

“People used to tell me my hair was ‘too big’ for the cap — never that the cap was too small for my hair,” she said in a blog post on the company’s website.

FINA pointed out Friday that there is no restriction on Soul Cap usage for recreational and teaching purposes. It said it appreciates the efforts of the company and other suppliers in making sure people have a chance to enjoy the water.

FINA said it would speak with Soul Cap officials about using the company’s products at its development centers located in Dakar, Senegal, and Kazan, Russia.

Source: Voice of America

The inaugural Africa Basketball League tournament is entering the playoff stage. For Sonny Side of Sports, VOA’s Prince Nesta spoke with Sarah Chan, Africa scouting manager for the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors, about her basketball journey and the games plying in the BAL.

The interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: Briefly, can you speak a little bit about your background?

Chan: I am from South Sudan. I grew up in Khartoum until I was about 12. South Sudan was going through a civil war…a civil war that had affected everybody. And so, my family and I relocated to Kenya looking for greener pastures, looking for peace, putting education at the center of everything…My parents reiterated: “we go, we learn, we come back, and we impact.” That was the song in our daily lives. And so, (I have) a background of civil war into being privileged to have an amazing family that’s very supportive of a young girl that was trying something out.

VOA: You were in the arena when the opening match between the Patriots against US Monastir was taking place? What was the mood Like?

Chan: It is one of the most exciting games thus far. The environment was just so electric. The energy was so high. And for a second there, I look around and I’m like… this is the NBA. This is like me sitting in (Raptors) arena. And the level of the game that is going on that I’m watching, wow the intensity like I’m feeling it myself, but I’m right there with this…The intensity of the game was amazing. They were running the floor, great shot selections, the ball movement was just incredible. And the leadership on the floor. The future is so bright for this tournament. And this game was such an exemplary game.

VOA: What so far are some of the standout teams in this tournament for you?

Chan: The standout teams in this tournament would be the one we just watched, the Tunisian team. Patriots have also showed a great deal. We’ve also watched Zamalek from Egypt. They’ve done so well. And so, I’m predicting at least one or two of those will be in the final.

VOA: What does this tournament mean for the African continent?

Chan: It’s progressive leadership that, you know, makes the world move around and advances tournaments like this. Because without (Rwanda President Paul Kagame) the NBA, FIBA, we don’t have the arena. Let’s start there. So there’s not, you know, the actual structure, and then you come down to the leadership within the NBA, the people that work behind the scenes, to bring this tournament here, and to make it a success and execute with such diligence. And then the opportunities, this is going to have the ripple effects of just what the BAL stands for, impacting the next generation of athletes.

There were 15 NBA scouts and team like representatives watching this tournament. And this gives us an opportunity to look at young prospects early and build a file. And this is more opportunity for the players. This is job creation for the people. This is economic…It’s a socio-economic benefit to all of Africa. Right…And so, the world will continue to reap the fruits of this tournament because it’s also a pipeline to the NBA…And it’s our prayer that it keeps growing and you know…It already has the sustainability aspects of things. So, it will keep growing. And we hope that it gets to the point where interchangeably athletes can go from the NBA to the BAL, from the BAL to the NBA

It is such a moment that makes you proud to be African. You look down and you see women leadership on the floor…our young women doing things, phenomenal sisters doing amazing things, right?

VOA: What does basketball mean to you?

Chan: Basketball is life. It becomes a lifestyle. It becomes the reason I wake up. it is my purpose. And it reminds me of the saying, the quote by Mandela, (that) sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite and it has the power to create hope. And I look at this and this is home. This is a platform, an elite platform for players to showcase what they have and for the world. you know, to basically enjoy the fruits of talent because Africa is spoiled for choices.

We have such an immense pool of talent and now there’s a platform where they can exhibit what they have. And so, it’s a gift to the world. And it’s also a gift to us. So, basketball is life. Basketball is peace. Basketball is opportunities. Basketball is unity. And the power of it to transcend boundaries.

VOA: Any surprises so far as far as the tournament is concerned?

Chan: The only surprise for me is the Nigeria team’s performance. I expected a bit much more from them…Also, in the best way possible, not really surprised, but I’m glad that the Patriots from Rwanda, the host, (are) playing at a high, an intense competitive way…There are also beautiful surprises of different teams, stepping up, and leadership and experiences showing out…

VOA: You also come from South Sudan. What does this tournament mean, for South Sudan in Africa? You know, what should we take from this moving forward to the future?

Chan: Elevation and progress come from leadership. And we must hold each other accountable. We must take sports more (seriously) and invest in the youth and continue to give accessibility and look at the opportunities within this. This is a nation that went through tragedy, look at how they healed. And you know, how they made a comeback, you know, and how they’re now bringing the world together.

I hope people’s eyes are open and their hearts are receptive to seeing what is being displayed (at the BAL.)…and to wanting to duplicate a Kigali Arena in , you know, in South Sudan.

Source: Voice of America