Somali teenage boxer Hassan Anwar Mohamed has completed his final training session at Mecca Gym in Eastleigh, Nairobi, in readiness for departure for Dakar, Senegal, on October 28, where he will represent his country at the Youth Olympic Games.
The 17-year-old competes in the 50kg category. He will make history as the first Somali boxer to participate in the Youth Olympic Games, according to Somali Boxing Association president Awil Gele Ahmed.
Hassan has been preparing for the competition for nearly a year, with training camps in Somalia, Sierra Leone and Kenya forming part of his build-up to the Games.
Speaking after the final training session on Tuesday, national team coach Mohamed Ahmed Abdullahi said the team had worked hard to ensure the young boxer was ready for the international challenge.
“We have been preparing for a long time, almost a year. We then stayed in Kenya for one month to become better. We are ready,” explained Abdullahi.
The coach added that Kenya was selected partly because of its favourable training conditions, adding that the camp had provided an opportunity for Hassan to sharpen his skills and prepare for the demands of international competition.
The Somali team also used the training period to access sparring opportunities at Mecca Gym, one of the centres where the association develops its boxers.
Abdullahi, who is both a boxer and an international coach, said Somalia had a pool of young talent that needed more opportunities to compete and showcase the country's potential on the world stage.
“We have a lot of boxers, and we need to develop more boxers to show the world who we are,” he added.
Somali Boxing Association president Awil Gele Ahmed expressed optimism about Hassan's chances, saying he had closely followed the youngster's preparations and believed he was capable of winning a medal.
“We are fully prepared and ready for these Games. I am very optimistic that we are going to bring a medal,” said Gele.
He described Hassan's participation as an important milestone for Somali boxing, which began rebuilding its presence in the sport in 2018 after years of limited activity.
Since then, the association has worked to restore domestic boxing programmes and provide young athletes with opportunities to compete at national and international levels.
“This is the first time that we are participating in the Olympic Games, especially in boxing. We are very delighted and grateful for that,” said Gele.
The association president also thanked the Somali National Olympic Committee, led by Ahmed Abdi Hassan, for its financial and logistical support throughout the preparation period.
He noted that the committee had facilitated the team's training programme, including a previous camp in Sierra Leone supported through Olympic Solidarity programmes.
Gele explained that Mecca Gym in Nairobi was one of the association's training centres, alongside its main facility in Mogadishu, and had provided Hassan with an important environment to prepare for the competition.
The Somali team has also maintained contact with the Kenyan Boxing Federation, which is sending a boxer to the Youth Olympic Games, allowing the two countries to engage through their respective coaches and officials.
Despite the progress made since 2018, Gele disclosed that inadequate funding and limited private-sector sponsorship remained major obstacles to the further development of boxing in Somalia.
He argued that potential corporate sponsors needed to better understand the value of supporting sport, including the visibility and other benefits sponsorship can bring to businesses.
“It is a really challenging time for us. The challenge is not just coming from the government and lack of funding, but also from the misunderstanding of sponsorship,” he said.
The association hopes that increased government support, private investment and stronger partnerships with international boxing organisations will help expand grassroots programmes and create more opportunities for young Somali athletes.
Hassan, who began boxing at a young age, observed that he was passionate about the sport and wanted to establish himself as a successful boxer.
Gele identified the 17-year-old's boxing idol as former British featherweight world champion Prince Naseem Hamed, whose attacking style and achievements have inspired the young Somali.
Asked about his personal ambitions at the Youth Olympic Games, Hassan made his target clear that he wants to finish number one.
His participation in Dakar will therefore represent more than an individual sporting opportunity. It will also be a test of the progress Somali boxing has made since its revival and a chance for the country to announce itself on the youth international boxing stage.
With the final Nairobi training session done, Hassan and his delegation are now set to travel to Senegal on October 28, carrying the hopes of an association seeking to turn years of rebuilding into international success.
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