As part of Somali Football Federation’s policy to spread the holding of the peace reviving tournaments throughout all Somali regions, another edition of the competition was concluded in the city of GuriEl in the central Somali region of Galgaduud over the weekend.
According to the region’s football commission chairman Abdirashid Aden Roble 9 teams from different cities in the region took part in the four-week long football for peace competition which was intended to encourage friendship and youth integration in the region which suffered from years of conflicts.
In the hotly-contested final match SYL team defeated their GuriEl Clevers FC by 4-2. The match attracted thousands of spectators including officials from the none-militants Islamist Group Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a who control the region, business people and international aid workers.
The competition was financed by the chief of the International committee of the Red Cross in the region Mr. Mohamed Elmi Afrah Damdamle who was described as the greatest football supporter in the region. Mr. Damdamle also paid prize money given to the winning team, best player, the top scorer and the best coach of the tournament.
The head of women’s rights organization in the region IIDA Mrs. Halimo Ismail who addressed at the conclusion ceremony of the tournament said that from the moment her organization will be a partner with the football federation and will financially help in future competitions in the region.
Somali Football Federation has praised the international aid worker for his commitment to support peace and the development of football in central Somalia. “It was several months ago when Mr. Damdamle financed a football tournament in the region--this shows that he is a great football partner we have in the central Somali regions” the Somali Football federation secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab said.
Mr. Arab called on all business people in the region and other development organizations operating in the region to follow Mr. Damdamle’s foot steps and help the promotion of football and peace in the region.