By Yang Ater Yang
An inter-Payam Peace tournament in Rumbek Central County, Lakes State, kicked off on Monday at Rumbek Freedom Square.
In the opening game, Dr. Nyot FC of Malek Payam battled it out with Amongpiny Payam’s Cuei-adunkan FC. And Dr. Nyot FC won the match by two goals to nil.
The inter-Payam football competition is being organized by the Rumbek Central County Youth Association.
Football clubs from the five payams of Rumbek Central County are participating in the tournament, which will run for two weeks.
The executive director of Rumbek Central County, Majok Arop Majok, who witnessed that inaugural match between Dr. Nyot FC and Cuei-adunkan FC, said the match finished peacefully.
“It was very fruitful, and we have learned that Dr. Nyot FC of Malek Payam won the match by 2:0 against Cuei-adunkan FC of Amongpiny Payam, and the match was very peaceful on both sides, and we have appreciated all the coaches and managers,” Arop said.
The county executive director said the local authorities have beefed up their security presence to keep order during the matches.
“We supported all the payams teams financially and materially, and we have also provided some chairs for those attending the match. We provide those chairs so that people sit comfortably, and we also provide security”, he added.
The chairperson of the Rumbek Central County Youth Association, Deng Mayom Agal, said the youth association designed the inter-Payam football competition in order to foster peace among the youth.
He said the inter-Payam peace tournament brings together the five payams of Jiir, Amongpiny, Malek, Matangai, and Mayom of Rumbek Central County.
“The youth association leadership has initiated this to engage youth so that they know what they are doing instead of drinking alcohol and loitering around the town,” he said. “We want them to improve and know what they are doing.”
“The youth association plans activities that will motivate and engage youth, and soon we will have some partners that will support us in doing our sports activities. It is Rumbek Central County youth leadership that sat with Payam sports leadership to organize this inter-Payam peace tournament “, he noted.
Dr. Nyot FC’s coach commended the county youth leadership for organizing the tournament and expressed his happiness to participate.
“I am very happy for the inter-Payam peace tournament that is going on under the Rumbek Central County Youth Association,”, he said. “So, I am appealing to our community, youth, and government that peace is very important. Let us maintain peace in this way because sports activities are the only game that can bring us together”.
“The game was very colorful and very interesting. It is very interesting between Dr. Nyot FC and Amongpiny. I like the way they played. No one was against anyone; they were playing peacefully, and the match ended peacefully,” the coach noted.
Peter Kaman Malith, Amongpiny Payam FC coach, conceded that his team lost by 2:0 to Dr. Nyot FC of Malek Payam.
He said football is very important because it makes people know one another and helps them learn what they have not seen.
“I am very happy about the match outcomes. In fact, a football game has three things that happen: a win, a loss, and a draw, and for me today I lost, but next time I will win,” Kaman consoled himself.
“I am very happy just to entertain our county and our state, and I am sure next time, Amongpiny Payam FC will win,” he optimistically sounded.