The FIBA Africa Championship 1981 was hosted by Somalia from 15–23 December 1981. The games were played in Mogadishu, and the Somali national team received the bronze prize. Abdi Bile won the 1500 m event at the World Championships in 1987, running the fastest final 800 m of any 1,500 meter race in history. He was a two-time Olympian (1984 and 1996) and dominated the event in the late 1980s. Hussein Ahmed Salah, a Somalia-born former long-distance runner from Djibouti, won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also won silver medals in this event at the 1987 and 1991 World Championships, as well as the 1985 IAAF World Marathon Cup. Mo Farah is a double Olympic gold medal winner and world champion, and holds the European track record for 10,000 metres, the British road record for 10,000 metres, the British indoor record in the 3000 metres, the British track record for 5000 metres and the European indoor record for 5000 metres. Mohammed Ahmed (athlete) is a Canadian long-distance runner who represented Canada in the 10,000 meter races at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2013 World Championships in Athletics.

When did the 1981 FIBA African Championship take place?