Sir Mo Farah backing ‘actual’ Mo whose id he was given to lastly be a part of him in UK
Sir Mo Farah made the stunning revelation that he was taken to the UK under the name of another child. Now the Olympic hero is supporting the ‘real’ Mo’s attempt to join him in the country
Sir Mo Farah is backing the man whose identity he was given as a boy to finally join him in Britain.
The Olympic hero stunned fans and the public when he sensationally revealed how he was taken to the UK under the name of another child. Now Sir Mo has written a letter supporting the ‘real’ Mohamed Farah’s attempt to at last be reunited with his family.
The mix-up left him abandoned in Africa over 30 years ago in stark contrast to the life the runner has enjoyed. Mohamed – the Somali man whose identity Sir Mo was given – has been living in an impoverished home in Nairobi, Kenya,
He was tracked down by reporters from the Daily Mail and told for the first time how he watched from the other side of the world as the athlete rose to glory under his name. Mohamed, 42, said he was left an effective orphan in Africa, unable to join his family in Britain after his paperwork was given to Sir Mo.
Mohamed said: “I am so happy that Mo Farah has signed this letter for me. Words can’t describe how thankful I am. It has brought back so much hope that I can be with my family again and fix this mistake from 30 years ago.”
Sir Mo, Britain’s most successful track athlete, first revealed to the world that his real name was Hussein Abdi Kahin in his Bafta-winning 2022 documentary: The Real Mo Farah. He claimed he had been trafficked to Britain as a child, given Mohamed’s name, and forced to live in domestic servitude in London before finding fame on the track.
Mohamed said he learned from other Somalis in 2013 – the year after the London Olympics – that Sir Mo had been given his identity.
He added: “I began to have visions of the life I could have lived with family in the UK instead of being in Nairobi alone. This just made it harder… I felt betrayed and I felt so sad.”
Jacqueline Mckenzie, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, is leading Mohamed’s case. She said: “It is an amazing thing to have.
“Sir Mo Farah is much loved in this country and much regarded. He is a national treasure and his voice is very, very powerful in this discussion. It will have value. It will add weight.
“We have seen in the past celebrity endorsements have made a difference.”
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