The Prime minister of the transitional federal government (TFG) of Somalia Dr. Abdi weli Mohamed Ali has officially appointed former national basketball team member Bashir Yusuf Mohamed as the Somali National sports and youth coordinator for the office of Somali Prime minister.

The basketball veteran was appointed in an official statement from Somali Prime minister’s office which was issued on December 1^st, but the news of the appointment was officially released by the Somali sports press association on Friday.

“Having considered the knowledge and the experience of Mr. Bashiir in the field of youth and sports and having seen the 1960 constitution and the federal charter, Somali Prime minister has issued this decree to appoint Mr. Bashiir Yusuf Mohamed in the capacity of Somali National sports and youth coordinator for the office of Somali Prime minister” the statement noted.

The statement said that the duties of the newly appointed official will include: coordinating and implementing a national sports program, creating equitable opportunities for participation in sports by all sectors and providing assistance to national Olympic committee and the ministry of youth and sports.

The Somali National Olympic committee has fully lauded for the appointment of the former national basketball team member to such post. “Bashiir’s appointment as the National sports and youth coordinator for the office of Somali Prime minister is a great achievement for Somali sports family and we hope that he will play a big role in the country’s sports development” Somali NOC senior vice president and head of international relations Duran Ahmed Farah said in a press statement later on Friday.

Bashir Yusuf Mohamed, was a very talented player in the Somali National basketball team late in 1970s and in mid 1980s. Rather than playing basketball in 1981 Mr. Bashiir became a physical education lecturer at Somalia’s Lafole University where he was teaching until Somalia until Somalia fell into anarchy in January 1991.

The several times gold medalist has for the past several years been serving as the assistant coach of Qatar national basketball team.

Somali NOC Media Department