Volleyball championships concluded in war-torn Mogadishu
With Mogadishu, the lawless capital of Somalia experiencing daily armed confrontations, the country’s national volleyball federation successfully ended the 24th men’s volleyball championship on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the secretary general of Somali volleyball federation Awil Nur Magan, the competition which continued from 6th of June to 13th of July 2010 attracted 12 first division teams and there was no problems during the one-month long competition.
The Somali military team Horseed and its rival of Gasco showed a very good presentation in Tuesday’s final game during which each team was doing its best to win the Somali’s 2010 volleyball championship, but the boys of the military club Horseed humiliated their Gasco opponents by three nil.
The President of Somali volleyball federation Professor Mohamed Ali Addo who talked to reporters after the match praised both teams for showing fair play during the hotly-contested final match.
He said that his federation had done what ever it could to realize the implementation of the competition which took place in Mogadishu, a city fenced by civil wars and insecurity.
The president added that his federation will arrange a big ceremony to present the cup to the victorious Somali military team Horseed. The same squad also took the trophy of the country’s 4th beach volleyball championship in March this year.
Praise for competing under hard circumstances
The president of Somali Olympic committee Aden Hajji Yeberow popularly know as Wiish who talked to the media at the Somali Red Crescent society volleyball stadium where the championship was held congratulated the Somali military team on its success.
“After my greetings to the boys of Horseed, I would like to express my deeper gratitude and gratefulness to the Somali Red Crescent society which allowed Somali volleyball federation to hold its tournament here”, the Somali NOC president said during his address.
“I praise the Somali sporting federations which are holding consecutive competitions in such hard circumstance we are facing in the chaotic country, I am very proud of that a good task has been done”, the Somali NOC president added.
“I am now repeating one word I previously said several times in the past and it is that an active federation and a lazy federation will not be similarly valued according to the Somali Olympic Committee”, President Aden Hajji Yabarow stated during his speech Tuesday.
Many sporting dignitaries including Somali NOC deputy presidents Abdi Elmi Warsame and Hassan Ahmed Abdi, Somali Handball Federation President Mohamed Hurshe Hassan, Somali Boxing Federation President Hajji Mohamed Ahmed Olow and many other high level sporting individuals were watching Tuesday’s final match of Somalia’s 24th Volleyball Championship.