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Somalia's 24th Volleyball Championship Reaches Conclusion

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

Even 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 the Somali Volleyball Federation, Awil Nur Magan, the competition (from the 6th of June to the 13th of July) attracted 12 first division teams who got along well during the one-month long competition.

The Somali military team Horseed, and its rival of Gasco had a good match in Tuesday's final game, during which each team was doing its best to win the Somali's 2010 Volleyball Championship. The final outcome went to the boys of the military club Horseed, who humiliated their Gasco opponents by three to nil.

The President of the Somali Volleyball Federation, Professor Mohamed Ali Addo, spoke to reporters after the end of the match, and praised both teams for showing fair play during the hotly-contested final match.

He said that his federation had worked hard to implement 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 Horseed team.

The same squad also took the trophy of the country's 4th beach volleyball championship in March this year.

The president of the Somali Olympic Committee, Aden Hajji Yeberow (popularly know as Wiish) also spoke to the media at the Somali Red Crescent Society Volleyball Stadium where the championship was held. He 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 the 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 circumstances that we are facing in this chaotic country; I am very proud that a good deed has been accomplished here" The Somali NOC president added.

"I am now repeating one thing that I've previously said several times--and that is, that an active federation and a lazy federation will not be valued the same in regards to the Somali Olympic Committee" President Aden Hajji Yabarow stated during his speech on Tuesday.

Many sporting dignitaries including the 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 attended Tuesday's final match of Somalia's 24th Volleyball Championship.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze.