From the Sunday News:

Race hate agony for top Kiwi athlete
19 March 2006
By KATIE BRADFORD

Games medal hope Shafat Salad fled war-torn Somalia to find peace in New Zealand. But on his home streets of Hamilton, Shafat is regularly racially abused and has even had the windows of his family home smashed.

The teen track star is showing his gratitude by representing his new homeland on the world athletics stage.

At 19, Shafat has already been compared to legendary Kiwi runner John Walker and is widely expected to bring us Commonwealth and Olympic Games glory.

But on his home streets of Hamilton, Shafat is regularly racially abused and has even had the windows of his family home smashed.

“I’m in the car going to training and people drive past and call me a black c***,” said Salad, who is representing New Zealand at the world cross country championships in Japan next month.

“They tell me to go back to my own country.

“It is hard to deal with but I just walk away and ignore it.

“My mates know me and respect me and don’t have any problems with me being Somalian.

“But my family have had people drive by and throw stones and break our windows.”

Shafat - who will also compete in the 3km steeplechase and the 10km run at the world junior athletics championships in August - said most of the abuse comes from other teens.

Earlier this month in Hamilton, Somalian youths clashed with a group of Maori and pakeha who were at a party. Neither side accepted responsibility for the turmoil.

“I wish people knew I was representing New Zealand. But people just look at me and see I am black and think I get violent,” said Shafat, who was not involved in the party fracas. “Most of us just want to get on with life here. Of course, there are some bad Somalians but that is the same with everyone.

“We came to New Zealand for a good life and to get away from violence.

“I’m so proud to be in New Zealand with my family.”

Shafat’s family fled Somalia in 1991. They remained in a refugee camp in Ethiopia until Shafat’s aunt sponsored him, his parents and his seven brothers and sisters to New Zealand in 2001.

His talent was unearthed by Fairfield College deputy principal John Tylden, after Shafat competed in the Hamilton secondary school’s cross-country.

John convinced him to join Fairfield’s athletics team.

“John thought I could run and at the start I didn’t enjoy it that much,” Shafat said.

“I was just running at school for fun. John would tell me to train and I would just wag because I didn’t care.”

Three years later Shafat had the fastest Waikato times that season in the 800m, 1500m, mile, 3000m, 5000m and the 2000m and 3000m steeplechase.

Having gained New Zealand citizenship in 2004, he is determined to race at the next Olympic and Commonwealth Games - and bring home gold.

Athletics New Zealand high performance director Eric Hollingsworth told Sunday News Shafat has the ability to go to the very top.

“He is an absolutely talented young kid and he will make it big,” Hollingsworth said.

“This is just his first breakthrough. We welcome anyone to represent our country and are proud he will be there as a New Zealander.”