British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his admiration for the double gold medallist shortly after the race and said: “Mo Farah is an Olympic legend and a true British hero”. He said that we can all be proud of his extraordinary achievements.
Farah joins an elite band of runners to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m at single Games. He emulates the feat of Kenenisa Bekele (2008), Miruts Yifter (1980), Lasse Viren (1972 and 1976), Vladimir Kuts (1956), Emil Zatopek (1952) and Hannes Kolehmainen (1912).
He is undoubtedly the greatest Olympics of all time as he came towards a perfect end last night and won his second gold of the London Games. He was hailed as the greatest runner ever to compete for Britain, as yet another packed stadium crowd of 80,000 roared him across the line after 5,000 metres
London 2012 chairman Lord Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500m champion, added: “Mo Farah – a distance running great and arguably the best British runner of all time.”
Farah’s 10,000m win last weekend catapulted him from being an excellent athlete, if not quite a household name, to a national superstar – Super Mo, the Fly Mo, Mr. Mo-tivator. He even has a signature dance move, for heaven’s sake. If there is a child in the country who does not yet know the Mo-bot, expect schoolyards across the country to be consumed with it by the time the new school term starts.
As the Mo Farah mania is sweeping the country (Britain) another man is quietly earning his gold medal in peacemaking in Somaliland. President Silanyo is working hard on another front and is seeking a double peace that has eluded all previous Somaliland Presidents. Silanyo is earning more than a gold medal here. He is working to spare human lives in a conflict that has already caused lives and displaced many people in Buhodle and Sool Regions of Somaliland.
President Silanyo believes in miracles with hard work like Lord Coe, the London 2012 organiser. A roaring crowd of 80,000 and an entire telly glued nation saw fervent hope made reality when Mo Farah won the 5000 metres last night. But 3 and half million people in Somaliland are roaring President Silanyo in his quest for lasting peace in the eastern regions of Somaliland.
Silanyo is determinedly optimistic and believes that it is possible one day a Somaliland president will address the people of Buhodle in their backyard with stand ovation. It will be too much to dare for, too ridiculous a conclusion and too fairytale to be true but it will happen with Silanyo’s everlasting focus on lasting peace. This lasting peace in eastern regions will be one of his legacies and people will remember him as Tony Blair is remembered by the British people for his role in the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.
Peace in Sool and Buhodle is challenging the president to succeed as a leader where others have failed. The peace in Buhodle will test Silanyo’s skills, assumptions and prior knowledge. But it looks so far the president is utilizing his experience as a long time leader of Gorilla fighter’s movement and as a statesman in post-Dubai Talks era.
Ahmed Ali Aadan
Birmingham
UK
