Somalia’s Sports Minister has pledged to investigate why a female athlete was selected to compete in the FISU 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China.

Nasra Ali Abukar ran the 100m sprint in 21.81 seconds, around 10 seconds slower than the other athletes. Her performance sparked speculation that she had not been chosen based on her athletic ability amid reports of potential nepotism.

Mohamed Barre Mohamud, the Minister of Youth and Sports, released a video after the footage went viral, saying the incident caused “misrepresentation and embarrassment” for the country.

He said he would launch an investigation into whether the Somali Athletics Federation had “inappropriately selected athletes for the afternoon race in China” adding “I will hold the relevant party accountable.”