The memorial service started with football games on April the 4th the same day that the former international football assistant referee was killed in
The memorial service was attended by high level government and Somali sporting officials including Somali NOC president Aden Hajji Yeberow, Somali football federation president Said Mahmoud Nur, Somali deputy minister for finance and former footballer Sheik Muktar Shute, director general for Somali youth, sports and labor ministry Aweys sheik Haddad and other high profile individuals.
The Somali football federation president Said Mahmoud Nur who addressed at the memorial service said that his federation and the entire Somali football family members are still agonizing with the sudden death of the former international referee.
“It was early morning on April 4 2008 when the great colleague Abdi Abdullahi had seen off a delegation lead by me at Mogadishu airport on our way to Djibouti, but it was a very sad experience when a colleague called me in the evening and informed me that Abdi Abdullahi was killed in Mogadishu” SFF president told the memorial service.
He said that the slain international assistant referee was one of the few individuals who helped Somali football recover in early 1990s and was an active member in Somali football referees association.
“When ever I remember him tears of agony just follow down on my cheeks—what an unforgettable man he was!” the SFF president told the memorial service before handing over the microphone to Somali NOC president Aden Hajji Yeberow.
The NOC president affirmed that the Olympic committee and its federations have been working in a very critical situation and will continue the good job what ever problems they face.
“Today in one way we are very sad because we are remembering a man who was great in our hearts, but in the other way I am happy because still we have the chance to remember the beloved ones we have lost in this chaotic condition in Somalia” the Somali NOC president told the memorial service.
For his part the director General of Somali youth, labor and sports ministry Aweys Sheik Haddad said that his ministry is praising the Somali football federation for the wide spread activities in the lawless country.
“Today we came here to remember our lost brother, the international assistant football referee who was killed, but on behalf of my ministry we are really very satisfied with the great job that Somali NOC and its federations of which the football is major are doing here” said the director general who finally handed over the microphone to the deputy finance minister Sheik Muktar Shute.
Mr. Shute said that the young leadership of Somali football federation is praise worthy for the good job they are accomplishing in
“For nearly two decades I have been absent from the country, but I always read in the news headlines that football competition was held in Somalia or the national team traveled abroad for international matches—it was really an amazing thing to me and for many times I asked my self how such job can be done in Somalia, but today I really see with my eyes that some patriotic people are working” he said.
“Wars are taking place and in the mean time football tournaments are under way—I actually confess that a good job is being done” said the deputy minister who promised that Somali government will give a particular consideration to Somali sporting organizations who represented the nation’s flag in international sports gatherings for the past twenty years of lack of a functioning central government in the war-devastated horn of African country.
April the 4th was recognized as Somali football referees’ day and each year the Somali football federation holds memorial service staring from the same day that Former international assistant referee Abdi Abdullahi Alasow was killed in
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