Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Warrap State Ministry of Youth and Sports, with support from World Vision and the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) on Tuesday organized a peace football tournament between the state’s six counties, the governor’s team, and Kuajok Municipal Council at Kuajok Freedom Square.
The tournament which has eight teams participating under the theme “Sports for Peace” is being hosted by Governor Kuol Muor Muor and the opening saw the Gogrial East County team trounce Kuajok Municipal Council 2-0.
Speaking start of the games, Governor Muor urged the people of Warrap State to use sports for peace to achieve sustainable development. He said sports bring people together and appreciated the state sports ministry and partners for the initiative and pledged to construct the Kuajok Stadium.
“Sports is globally known to bring unity and peace and this inter-county peace tournament is for peace among the people of Warrap State regardless of your county. I will support the winner because I am like the Taposa tribe in Eastern Equatoria State who support the stronger person so I am a fan of the team which plays well,” he said. “The only thing to bring people together despite their differences is sports. When we were in Bahr El Ghazal Region, we used to beat Equatoria and Upper Nile regions as Wau Nar because the players were drawn from Wau, Rumbek, Yirol, Tonj, Gogrial, and Aweil.”
“I know there are challenges facing the Warrap Local Football Association and the sports ministry and you are lucky to have Madut Parek, the president of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), who hails from Warrap State and this is an advantage to have lion share in everything concerning sports,” Governor Muor added.
He promised to construct the playground and improve Freedom Square but tasked the sports associations, sports ministry, and the youth to provide bricks.
Meanwhile, Majok Achien, the President of the Warrap State Local Football Association, said sports attract many people who later disseminate messages of peace and unity to their communities.
“This tournament is the first of its kind in Warrap State since 2005 when peace was. To organize the inter-counties peace tournament under the auspices of Governor Muor,” he said. “This playground will not be enough to accommodate spectators later and this is a golden opportunity for you, governor, to deliver your words of peace and unity.”
On her part, Maria Deng Ngor, the World Vision representative, congratulated the state government for organizing a peace tournament and urged that it be held regularly to promote peace and unity.
“I congratulate the people of Warrap State for this historical event under the supervision of the governor,” she said. “I am very happy to represent the partners and World Vision and we have learned a lot from the talents of the players which has made us happy and this is the kind of unity we want to be reflected in all the counties.”
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