By Charles K Mark
Loul Ajou Deng has been declared the president-elect of South Sudan Basketball Federation (SSBF) by the Electoral Committee, yesterday.
Luol who went unopposed secured all 12 votes from the delegates representing the state associations. He will continue to govern the federation for a second 4-year term.
The returning officer of the electoral committee, advocate Bak Athian Bak, declared him as the President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation.
The Electoral Committee also announced the winners for the other key positions in the executive body, with Arou Ramadan Chan being declared as the Secretary-General, receiving eleven out of twelve votes, constituting 92 per cent of the total votes.
Speaking on behalf of his running mates after the declaration of the elections, Luol Ajou Deng, said the past four years of his first term were meant to test their leadership capabilities.
“We’ve been tested the last four years, and we’ve worked very hard to try to achieve the things that we’ve achieved,” he stated.
“And now the challenges are going to be: how much better can we get? I don’t think we are satisfied. I don’t think I’m satisfied. I think that we are still a long way away, and I think we’re going to work together in order to accomplish that,” he continued.
When he was first elected SSBF president four years ago, Luol’s focus was on building the national men’s team. And with this second term in office, he thinks it is time to develop the national women’s team and the under-18 boys and girls teams.
According to the SSBF president-elect, “building a successful team” does not rely only on leadership but collective efforts.
He emphasized that what makes a difference is a belief in what changes lives for all the young people who want to play basketball across the country.
“We’re going to work very hard. And I did say that we’ll forever be a family of the basketball community,” Luol assured.
He stated that the executive will always have to handle everything within the federation and always lead by example.
“I think as a general assembly, when we continue our meetings, all the issues that we have amongst each other should always remain inside the general assembly,” he urged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wal Paul Kun was also confirmed as Secretary of Finance with eleven votes out of twelve, an equivalent of 92 percent of the general votes as well.
“I want to emphasize that despite the limited time, we managed to do it, and we tried our level best to exercise and practice impartiality up to the level you have seen.” Advocate Bak underscored the election’s transparency.
Meanwhile, Zone V President for FIBA Africa, Hesham El Hariri, who is in South Sudan for the second time, congratulated the new body of the SSBF led by Luol Deng.
He said the job that the team led by Luol did four years ago led the country into its first ever World Cup appearance as a new kid on the basketball arena.
“And first, congratulations to the Federation, to the Ministry of Sports, and to the Olympic Committee. It will be a great moment for all South Sudanese people to watch the South Sudan basketball team with the flag of South Sudan in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris,” El Hariri expressed.
He said it was a very great job and a great moment for all South Sudan basketball fans to celebrate.