A South Sudanese refugee, based in Western Australia, has been deselected from his country’s Olympic team despite being an Australian sprinting record holder and dominating his country’s athletics field. His coach has vowed they will fight the decision.
An Olympic hopeful’s dream to run in the 200 metres for the world’s youngest nation has been dashed at the last minute.
Mangar Chuot found out Thursday through a third party that the South Sudan National Olympic Committee had not selected him to compete at next month’s Olympic Games in Rio.
This is despite the South Sudanese Athletics Federation nominating the 26-year-old for the Olympics team.
The exclusion is even more heartbreaking for the Perth-based sprinter who had planned to compete in the games in his father’s name.
He had been killed in the fight for independence for South Sudan forcing Chuot’s mother to walk across two countries to find safety at a Kenyan refugee camp.
Mangar Chuot’s coach Lindsay Bunn said his young charge was devastated.
“Mangar had his bags packed and was preparing to leave,” he said.
“I’m worried I’m going to lose him to the sport now.
“My main concern now is Mangar’s welfare.”
Mr Bunn said they would appeal the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and a coach from the South Sudanese Athletics Federation was on the way to Rio to represent Chuot.
“But they don’t speak English well and they’re new to the whole process, so they will need help,” he said.
Mr Bunn said he was also raising money to lodge his own appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
He said the country’s Olympic committee had chosen marathon runner Guor Marial, 16-year-old Santino Kenyi for the men’s 1500m and Margret Rumat Rumar Hassan for the women’s 200m
Nineteen-year-old Hassan is the face of a Samsung campaign that features her countrymen barracking for her as she prepares to compete.
Mr Bunn said Chuot’s exclusion would also be taken to the South Sudanese police and International Olympic Committee under accusations of bribery and corruption.
