The following is a guest blog by Fionna Gibb, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Office for Somalia.
As Ambassador Matt Baugh is on leave, last Friday I had the pleasure of hosting the British Office for Somalia’s reception in Mogadishu to celebrate the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. As the sun set on the Indian Ocean, and the waves pounded on the Somali shore, I was joined at the party by a convivial gathering of the international community based at Mogadishu International Airport.
I commented that the British people, sometimes not known to get overly enthusiastic about big public displays of excitement, and possessing a natural talent for self deprecation, have defied the sceptics nonetheless by delivering a spectacular Olympics on time and within budget. Occasional British grumbling has been replaced with a growing and palpable sense of excitement – evidenced by the large crowds that turned out to welcome the Olympic flame the length and breadth of the country.
We are immensely proud to be hosting the world’s top sporting event, and welcoming 10,500 athletes from 204 countries. It is the culmination of seven years of hard work, commitment and vision to make these Olympic and Paralympic Games the best ever.
We live in a world where much of the news seems to be bad news and where conflicts continue to horrify us. Yet sport somehow rises above this and bridges differences between countries and communities. Sport offers hope: against the odds Somalia has managed to send athletes to almost every Olympic games since 1972.
I was privileged to meet a few weeks ago in Mogadishu Somalia’s two remarkable young athletes who are now representing their country in London. As I watched the opening ceremony live last Friday in Mogadishu, I waited to see them take their turn in the athletes procession. And then there they were, proudly carrying the national flag. We played our small part in getting them there by taking our immigration equipment to them in Mogadishu.
But the personal challenges they have both overcome to get this far have been far more immense. It is a testament to their determination, their vision and their optimism. They deserve a medal for that alone.
Mohamed Hassan and Zamzam Mohamed are true sporting heroes. Share your thoughts on Somalia’s Olympic and other national heroes by posting a comment below.