By student of Sichuan Agricultural University
A bizarre scene was unfolded at the ongoing Chengdu Universiade. Somali runner Nasro Abukar Ali was thrown away by other runners immediately after she got started in the women's 100m preliminary Group 3 race on August 1. She finished the race in 21.81 seconds, more than eight seconds behind the next-to-last runner, setting a record for the slowest women's 100 meters at an international event.
The video went viral online and sparked heated debate. Somalia's Youth and Sports Minister Mohamed Barre Mohamud ordered an investigation into the incident and suspended Khadija Adan Dahir, president of the National Athletics Federation. Some media said that Ali is Dahir's niece, who has never received professional training and has no experience of big events.
I'm going to introduce my own points of view in three main parts.
First of all, Ali's behaviour, as for sport spirit, is totally disrespectful, especially in such world-class events.
Ali renewed the slowest record in this sole competition, resulting in the record being meaningless in this game. Because there can hardly be another amateur athlete to renew this embarrassing record. This record is to serve as a spine stuck in the throat of the women's 100 meters, rotting and reeking, but never gets to be removed.
Furthermore, this event is such a grand and royal event held by China, a nation whose people specialize in their inherent characteristics of uniting and resisting foreign aggression, which means Ali's action is meant to arouse criticism from a great amount of Chinese. The diss from Chinese people shall cover both online and offline, both personal and national. The diss to this athlete has a great potential of rising to the national level when facing fierce Chinese netizens.
Secondly, about the suspicion that Ali is Dahir's niece.
The first thing that I was thinking about when acknowledged this, was the very reason for such a laborious and somehow silly decision of sending Ali to the Universiade. Are they so stupid to make a fool of themselves? How come? I read comments from some related video clips, and found that most people talked much about the so-called self-value. That is, to join some really, really great events and have some valuable title, thus improving one's self-value to guarantee one's bright future. But after what is said and done, this is absolutely stupid behaviour, becoming a laughing stock. Maybe it is, to have participated in a national event, a really prestigious title. However, with a super atrocious outcome in such an event, rotting in such a prestigious record of such a decent match, isn't it more terrible? And that is quite without shame.
Moreover, Dahir was suspended from being president of the National Athletics Federation, which is another side-effect caused. In such a world-class event, the fame of Somali is for sure affected by the accident, which at the same time got attention and contempt from all walks of life.
Thirdly, the saying that representing the whole nation to present a national event, even if with a horrible outcome, is glorious.
Comments below the video mentioned Liu Changchun, the first athlete representing China to participate in the tenth Olympic Games held in Los Angles, US, becoming the very first Chinese to participate Olympic Games. In 1932, he forged across the ocean with nobody but himself, finally arriving at the Olympic Games. Liu fought for no fame and money. Liu fought for his country. He got no big rank, but he strove for it, only to show the world that China is a great country. Of course, Liu finally won high praise from every generation of Chinese people because of his brave action. The same scene happened in different subjects of sports, in different countries, and in different degrees. However, those fit no Somali stuff like this. It can be so easy to be explained with lots of reasons. For example, they could have sent better, at least trained athletes.
So, if one representing the big team gets a poor outcome, it's glorious to the nation or a shame? Obviously, we know the answer lies in it that it depends on the different conditions of the nation. For a country in continuously fire, in extreme conditions, or being so challenged to support, it is of course a great thing to send someone representing the nation to say hello to the world. The achievements of the athletes at this moment are irrelevant, and their presence on the tracks and fields means everything. On the other side, for a country that is in normal condition, things are different. For a regular country, the athletes' grades are of pretty much significance, and they, are the very reflection of the whole country in front of the world. Anyway, I never mean to say that grades are everything, and that we shall lay more emphasis on the attitude. Then something intriguing happened. It is the attitude of the Somali girl that people dissed the most. The last steps before the deadline showed all her disrespect and indifference to the event.
Countless cases of athletes behaving badly but with endeavor, graveness and politeness are recorded in history. And I think those are what matters, what we've been after for hundreds of years. Friendship first, and competition second. Just exactly what the slogan advocates count. Please be generous to embody true sportsmanship, practice respect for sports and reveal the literacy of being an athlete.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Comment