The final of the tournament, which was played yesterday, took place in the Pumwani stadium in Eastlight in presence of a high level delegation including Somali ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nor “Ameriko”, as well as former Somalian member of parliament Mohamed Omar “Dalxa” and several senior sports leaders.
The final pitted the local Pumwani team against the Somali embassy team. The former defeated the Somali embassy team with a 2-0 victory. The winning team received an expensive cup and other sports materials from the ambassador.
Mohamed Ali nor “Americo”, the Somali ambassador to Kenya, addressed the media after the awarding ceremony. The ambassador thanked SYAO for the role it played in encouraging Somali youth in Kenya to turn away from extremist groups in Somalia.
“SYAO plays a big role in managing youth programs that concentrate on sports, awareness and organizing debates about the Somali youth,” said the ambassador.
The Chairman of the Somali Youth Advocacy Organization Mohamed Ibrahim Ali urged the youth and teams that were present to keep advancing in sports and to work towards peace.
“SYAO will continue to encourage the youth in sport, gaining awareness and organizing debates to fight the wrong extremist ideas in Somalia,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Ali “Ajib”, chairman of SYAO. He also announced the organization of a future tournament for Somali youths in Eastlight to save them from extremist ideas and criminality.
“Sports is our agenda and the first priority in 2011 project,” Said said.
The tournament celebrated the return of the Somali embassy premises in Kenya after 15 years.
The Kenyan high court decided the property in spring valley, Nairobi, to be returned to the Somali government on December 7th after it turned out that it had previously been illegally sold to a couple.
The Somali ambassador played his part in the return of the property to the Somali government.The return of propery has received great appreciation from the Somali government and the Somali community all over the world.
He is very popular with the Somali community in Kenya and joined politics in 2004 when serving as a member of cabinet under former Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi.
He grew up in Mogadishu. His family has a business. He is a Somali Canadian which enabled him to study at a university in Canada.