Sir Mo Farah has backed the man whose identity he was sensationally given as a boy finally to come to Britain, the Mail on Sunday reveals today.
The Olympic hero previously told how he was taken to the UK under the name of another child in a revelation that stunned the sporting world.
Now Sir Mo has written a letter supporting the ‘real’ Mohamed Farah’s attempt to at last be reunited with his family after the mix-up left him abandoned in Africa over 30 years ago.
It comes after Mohamed – the Somali man whose identity the runner was given – told for the first time how he watched from the other side of the world as the athlete rose to glory under his name.
The Mail tracked him down to his impoverished home in Nairobi, Kenya, to tell his story.
In a world exclusive interview, Mohamed, 42, detailed the ‘sliding doors moment’ that condemned him to a life of destitution and changed the course of sporting history.
He revealed how he was left an effective orphan in Africa, unable to join his family in Britain after his paperwork was given to Sir Mo, whose real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin.
Astonishingly, Mohamed even cheered the runner on at London 2012 from Nairobi unaware of why they shared the same name – before the truth finally emerged.
Olympic hero Sir Mo Farah, pictured while at Feltham Community School in West London
A picture of the ‘real’ Mohamed Farah – Sir Mo previously revealed that he was taken to the UK under the name of another child
Mohamed, now 42, said he watched from the other side of the world as the athlete rose to glory under his name
He made a powerful appeal to Sir Mo for help through this newspaper which moved the four-time Olympic gold medallist to write in support of his application to come to Britain.
Speaking from Nairobi, Mohamed told the Mail on Sunday: ‘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.’
Jacqueline Mckenzie, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, who is leading Mohamed’s case, 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.’
Mohamed – who told the first part of his incredible story in yesterday’s Daily Mail – concludes it in the Mail on Sunday – and in our powerful new podcast series and video documentary: The Other Mo Farah.
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 his prowess on the track saw him rise to greatness.
But the show only featured a short video call between Sir Mo and Mohamed and did not explain how or why the other boy was left behind.
Sir Mo has written a letter supporting the ‘real’ Mohamed Farah’s attempt to at last be reunited with his family after the mix-up left him abandoned in Africa over 30 years ago
Sir Mo shot to fame after he won gold at the 2012 London Olympics in the Men’s 5,000m final
The four-time Olympic gold medallist has written in support of the ‘real’ Mohammed Farah’s application to come to Britain
Following a year-long investigation, we can finally reveal the truth behind one of the most remarkable stories in sporting history.
We draw on exclusive interviews with Mohamed’s father, Muktar Farah, 64, the man who took Sir Mo in as a child, as well as his mother, Leyla Geedi, 59, neither of whom has ever spoken before.
Muktar, who left Leyla when Mohamed was six months old, had gained asylum in Britain and sent a UK visa for his son to his new wife, Nimco Ateye, who was living in Djibouti.
But she was close to her neighbours, the uncle and great-aunt of the future Sir Mo Farah, and instead gave the paperwork to him.
He told the Daily Mail yesterday of the devastating impact this had on his life, as his mother travelled to Britain two years later believing his visa was waiting for him.
When she arrived, she discovered to her horror that it had been given to another boy – the future Sir Mo – condemning Mohamed to a life alone in Africa.
They remained separated for more than three decades until the Mail supported Leyla to travel to Mogadishu and be reunited with her son for two months this summer.
In today’s Mail on Sunday, Mohammed tells of the moment he learned from other Somalis in 2013 that the Olympic hero had been given his identity.
‘I began to have visions of the life I could have lived with family in the UK instead of being in Nairobi alone,’ he said. ‘This just made it harder… I felt betrayed and I felt so sad.’
He describes how he believed Sir Mo would be able to help him come to Britain – but his dreams were repeatedly dashed, and at his lowest point he was robbed at gunpoint in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Now he finally has real hope for the first time of being reunited with his family in Britain for good and will make a direct appeal to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood with the backing of Sir Mo.
You can listen to The Other Mo Farah wherever you get your podcasts, while the accompanying video documentary is available on YouTube.
