South Sudan using sports to build up social connections
September 10, 2012 (JUBA) – While lead stories from various news agencies including the national media about South Sudan always appears to be concentrated on governance and conflicts, mostly those generated by cattle theft and border dispute with government of neighbouring Sudan from which it secedes, the government now sees importance of investing in sport activities as quick alternative to repairing broken social ties and to promote peaceful coexistence.
Officials with the country’s football Association known as South Sudan Football Association acting on the directives by the ministry of youth and sports, has been organizing tournaments at various levels beginning it with schools before extending them to counties and states. The authorities divided the country into three areas, placing some parties of Greater Equatoria to organize and compete amongst themselves, seeing Eastern Equatoria playing against West and Central clubs.
Upper Nile and Unity States took part in schools competition held in Rumbek in August. Four States of Greater Bahr el Ghazal region including lakes participated in the event opened by the country’s Vice president Riek Machar.
At the opening of inter schools competition in Juba at Rumbek freedom square, Machar pledged commitment of his government to build “the first modern stadium” in the area. The objective of the government in building stadium there was to promote sport activities so that people with potentials develop their careers without having to travel long distance for training purposes.
Responding to the national commitment to investing in sports as part of its strategy to promote peace and restoration of social ties, the government of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State in July created a ministry tasked with responsibilities to oversee sports and youth affairs and appointed a long serving humanitarian aid worker as minister.
Governor Paul Malong Awan named Tong Deng Anei as the Sports and Youth minister, who, after taking up ministerial duties, tried to give sport affairs quick attention, beginning it with the official visit to Spain to solicit technical support required in the development of the industry. Despite being new ministry faced with number of challenges including lack of resources as well as identification of resourceful staff to fill key technical positions, Anei expressed optimism to overcome challenges and praised state administration for support he received to sponsor major sport activities.
He identified four major successful activities sponsored by the state as financing of football competition between El meriekh Aweil clubs against Grassco Kuacjok Club in Aweil town, capital of the state. The event saw Aweil club wining the game against rival team from Neigbouring State of Warrap and followed by another competition also in Aweil town between El Meriekh Aweil against Nahda Bentiu in Unity State, resulting into the defeat of Unity club. Another competition to qualify a team at the semi final was conducted in Bentiu town, capital of Unity State, on 25 August, also saw El-Meriekh Aweil taking the lead with 2-1, qualifying Aweil club to represent three states of Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and unity at the semi final in Juba.
At the national competition bringing together four teams, Aweil Meriekh played against Renk Meriekh representing Upper Nile State and Akuac Rumbek representing Lakes State played against Nasir Juba. Many officials and soccer fans showed up at Juba stadium on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9, 2012, apparently to raise morals of their club team members.
Despite El Meriekh becoming the first to score, Renk Meriekh took strong stance in the second of the game, beating Aweil Meriekh 2-1, sending it home with pride it gained when beat the two states of Warrap and Unity.
In a statement immediately after the end of the match, minister Anei thanked those who made it possible for Aweil football team to make it to the semi-final.
“Supporters of this competition include government of Northern Bahr El Ghazal under the leadership of Governor Paul Malong Awan who supported the newly created ministry to accomplish four majority activities. These activities include financing the regional football competition between El Meriekh Aweil and Grassco Kuacjok in Aweil and Kuacjok, Meriekh Aweil and Nahda Bentiu in Aweil and Bentiu where Meriekh Aweil qualified for semi-final representing Warrap, Unity states and Abyei Area who lost at the regional competitions”, Anei in the statement.
He also appreciated the support by local traders in Aweil during the two months training of the football team in Aweil at the State owned Teachers Training Institute (TTI) and state ministry of Education for allowing Football Club (FC) to use the centre for training and preparations to attend national events.
Although the team has lost, minister Anei appears fairly relaxed and focused on the objective. He explained that the intention of organizing the competition was to create “social contacts” between clubs and amongst different youth groups in the country in order to promote peace and also encourage building social connections and ties in various parts and areas of the country.
“The main objective of this competition is to create contacts. Now those who went to Northern Bahr el Ghazal State to play from Unity state call their friends in Aweil to greet and talk. This is how you bring people who do not know themselves before to meet and to make friendship”, he explained.
Soccer fans disappointed by the lost
“Just got out of the game Al-Meriek Aweil Vs Al-Meriek Renk in Juba Stadium, as the game started, Aweil scored first goal, raising moral of their supporters across the stadium. We were dancing and sing the songs of our old Mading Aweil until about 23 minutes later in the first half when the Renk scored the equalizer and eventually scored the second goal to take the lead 2-1”, Lual Deng Akoon, a soccer said on Sunday
Akoon said he couldn’t believe it that they lost the game but was quick to accept the defeat, explaining that it was possible one could lose. “That is the outcome of any competition, one team has to loss and the other team has to celebrate”, he said. He appreciated the way Aweil Meriekh played while engaged in the field.
”They were calm throughout the game. They were passing the ball very well from the middle to the swings and forward or strikers. We just could capitalize the chances, but our team did play very-very well. I gave them a big credit for their effort”, he explained.
Akoon is also one of the fans pushing for name change although sport ministry does not see it as a big deal, since it does not affect performance of the team.
“This is just a name. It means star. We also do not have to influence clubs to change their names. They have to decide independently so that we are not seen as interfering with their management affairs. Our work is to support them”, Tong Deng Anei, a minister Youth and Sport told Sudan Tribune in August.
However, Awach Anei Wal, another soccer fans shares Akoon the same view seeking the name change. He prefers the adopting local names instead of Arabic names.
“I am a big fan of sports in general especially the soccer basketball and volleyball but honestly speaking I hate to say this. I don’t like the name of the team or the name given to the team”, Wal said in an e-mail on Sunday.
“El Meriekh Aweil whether this was done intentionally or not you need to think twice about it. For the goodness sake why still using Arabs names. What happened to our own names? Like for instant, Aweil Red Star. Aweil Blue star or our heroes names or family or animals instead. Are we going too stuck with this name el Meriekh again like we stuck with Northern Bhar el ghazel”, he asked.
South Sudan gained an independent status in July 2011 from neigbouring after decades of conflicts against successive Khartoum based regimes. Although the cause of two civil wars which have claimed lot of lives and displaced many at different times, was due to better governing system including equitable share of power and resources as well as lack of development.
Many South Sudanese including the educated groups believes religion and the culture was another factor. Some government officials have always claim that successive government in Sudan had refused respecting diversity of the Sudanese cultures and tried to promote one identity by imposing Islam as state religion and Arabic culture.
(ST)