The Somali Prime minister Dr. Abwi Weli Mohamed Ali on Monday held a farewell luncheon ceremony for the Somali National Olympic team to wish them success and happy participation in the up coming world Olympic Games to be held in London.

The Prime minister was accompanied by his deputy and the minister for defense Hussein Arab Essa, the minister for youth and sport Mahmoud Jirde Hussein, his deputy Dahir Hajji Guelleh, the state minister for sport Abdullahi Sheik Ali and lawmakers.

The minister of sport Mahmoud Jirde Hussein who first addressed at the farewell ceremony said that Somali government gives a great priority to the Somali Team participation in the world Olympics and that is why the Somali Prime minister held the farewell ceremony.

For his part the deputy prime minister and the Minster for defense Hussein Arab Essa said that he had known more about Somali sport and the difficulties under which Somali sporting volunteers have been working for the past two decades.

“Somalia had never missed any international or continental competition since the fall of Somalia in 1991 and that is because of the commitment by Somali NOC and its member federations---Last year I met with the national football team in Dar Es Salaam and they were really more happier than their counterparts in the CECAFA region Despite all difficulties they experienced” the deputy prime minister Hussein Arab Essa told the media.

Somali Prime minister Dr. Abdi Weli Mohamed Ali said that it was a great pleasure for him and the whole Somali community that a team from Somalia is will be taking part in such global event.

“I know that Somalia has experienced hard circumstances and these two young people Samsam and Mohamed have been training in a difficult situation in the country, but we are all happy that Somalia will appear among the international sport gathering” the Somali Prime minister Dr. Abdi Weli Mohamed Ali told a post farewell ceremony press conference at his home.

The Somali NOC delegation and the national team will be off to London on Tuesday via Dubai where they will stay for several hours. The Somali Olympic delegation will land on London’s Heathrow international airport on Wednesday morning at about 06:20 in the morning.

Somali NOC Media Department