Embrace sports to reap peace, Cleto tells youth
The Western Bahr el Ghazal State Governor, Sarah Cleto Rial, has urged the youth in the state to embrace sports to promote unity among them.
She argued that it was past time for young people to invest in sports, arguing that they had a chance to press the peace button.
“Our government is for peace. We are for freedom. Our government is for the unity of the citizens of this state as well as the country. As such, we feel so happy to see our youth coming together and playing together as the youth of this country. What we want from you as the youth of this country is unity,” Governor Cleto said.
She was addressing thousands of sports fans during the kick-off of the 2021/2022 South Sudan Cup in zone one, Wau town.
“Let us go back to our roots of working together. We are known for being the best at sports. Let us continue promoting unity through sports. Let us ourselves be one team because that is the only way that we can be called the winners,” she said.
Cleto urged the football fans in the state to stand up and support the players so that they can work hard to bring the South Sudan Cup 2021/2022 to the greater Bahr el Ghazal region.
The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) President, Gen. Augustino Maduot, said it would not have been possible for them to organise the competition if there was no peace in the country, adding that peace is the only thing that could lead to the development of sports.
Gen. Maduot called on the state government to invest more in sports to enable the youth in the country to shun violence.
“I thank the state government for considering sports as a tool to bring our people together and encourage them to continue with the spirit, but for our people to participate in sports, we need to have good playgrounds in the state and we need to encourage them to invest more in sports,” Maduot said.
“Sports can unite everyone in the country. Sports can be a source of income for our youth. Sports can make someone fit, which is part of the exercise, he added.
