Four-time Olympic gold medal winner Mo Farah, who was born in Somalia and trafficked to Britain as a child, joined the UN migration agency on Tuesday as its first global goodwill ambassador.

The athletics great, who retired in September aged 40, said he wanted to help people in similar circumstances to overcome their experiences.

Farah won the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at both the London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics in a stellar long-distance running career.

But in July 2022 he revealed that his real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin and he had been illegally trafficked into Britain as a child.

Rather than moving to the UK as a refugee from Somalia with his parents, as previously claimed, Farah revealed he came via Djibouti aged eight or nine with a woman he had never met, was given a false identity, and then made to look after another family’s children.

“No child should ever go through what I did; victims of child trafficking are just children. They deserve to be children. They deserve to play and to be kids,” Farah said.

He was appointed by the International Organization for Migration at the IOM Council, the UN agency’s annual main gathering.

“Becoming a global goodwill ambassador for IOM gives me a chance to help people — people like me — and make changes,” said Farah.

The athletics star wants to use his new platform to raise awareness of issues affecting migrants, including trafficking, and advocate for the power of sport to change lives, especially for women and girls.

“I was able to take the opportunity sport offered me to overcome my experiences as a young boy and show that no matter what we look like or what we sound like, we can achieve and overcome great things,” he said.

Farah said he was forced to do housework and childcare in return for food after being trafficked to London, and, estranged from his true family, would often lock himself in the bathroom in tears.

“A champion on and off the track, and a survivor of human trafficking, he brings true dedication, commitment and drive to IOM’s work, helping millions of people on the move and inspiring us all,” said the agency’s chief Amy Pope.

The IOM has two regional ambassadors: Ghanaian musician Kofi Kinaata and Egyptian actor Asser Yassin.

Source: AFP

WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury beat former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou on a split decision in a non-title fight in Saudi Arabia.

WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury beat former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou on a split decision in a non-title fight in Saudi Arabia on Sunday that almost delivered one of boxing’s biggest upsets.

Fury, unbeaten holder of one of the sport’s most prestigious belts, narrowly avoided a first defeat at the hands of a 37-year-old opponent who had never boxed professionally before but went through the full 10 rounds with some swagger.

Ngannou dropped the Briton to the canvas in round three with a left hook and although the 35-year-old self-styled “Gypsy King” was able to see out the round he had no doubts about what he was up against.

“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” said Fury after two of the judges gave him the win 96-93 and 95-94. The third judge scored it 95-94 in favour of his Cameroon-French opponent.

“He’s a hell of a fighter and a hell of a lot better boxer than we thought he would be. He’s an awkward man and a good puncher and I respect him a lot.

“He’s given me one of my toughest fights of the last 10 years.”

Fury said there was no rematch clause but he would like to fight Ngannou again “down the line” and after an undisputed title fight with Ukraine’s IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The pair are set to meet in Riyadh at a date yet to be announced officially but that both champions said will be Dec. 23.

Usyk, who was in Saudi Arabia to watch his future opponent, said he was ready.

Ngannou vacated his heavyweight belt after a contract dispute with UFC and exited as a free agent in January.

“My training camp was only three and a half months and I came into this with an injury. But I don’t want to give excuses. I will look at what I can do next to improve my game to come back even better,” he said.

“Now I know I can do this…, get ready. The wolf is in the house.”

Source: Hindustan Times

Football superstar Neymar has a torn ligament and meniscus in his left knee and will have to undergo surgery after being injured during Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said Wednesday.

The 31-year-old, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August, was stretchered off in tears just before halftime in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup qualifying match in Montevideo Tuesday.

Neymar will undergo surgery for the injuries at a “yet-to-be-determined date,” the CBF said, after a series of medical exams on the player in Sao Paulo.

“Brazilian and world football need Neymar healthy and recovered, because football is happier when he’s on the pitch,” CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement.

The CBF said its medical department and Al Hilal are in “constant contact” and “aligned” on helping the striker recover.

Neymar, who overtook Pele as Brazil’s all-time top goal scorer last month, twisted his knee in a collision with Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas de la Cruz in stoppage time near the end of the first half.

Carried off on a stretcher, he left the stadium on crutches and wearing a leg brace after the match.

It is the latest in a string of injuries for the star, who underwent surgery in March for an ankle problem that sidelined him for six months.

Fitness problems overshadowed much of his six seasons at PSG, which signed him for a world-record $234 million (222 million euros) in 2017.

He signed for Al Hilal for a reported $95 million in August.

Knee injuries are among the most common — and serious — in football.

The CBF said Neymar’s injury was to his anterior cruciate ligament, one of the worst of all.

Surgery to repair the condition often takes players out of action for months.

Source: AFP