The International Olympic Day was commemorated in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State, on Thursday with calls for peace and unity among the youth.
The day is celebrated globally on 23 June but the South Sudan National Olympics Committee (NOC) adjourned the occasion due to constraints in preparations.
Thousands, including school-going children, community leaders, government officials, and partners attended the event in Torit.
Major Paul Puk, the NOC Deputy Secretary-General, said the event was to enlighten the youth about sports as a uniting factor since it brings people from different backgrounds together.
“Sports bring peace and we want Eastern Equatoria to be a peaceful state because people come together during sports. While participating in sports, people do not differentiate themselves along tribal lines and they are only football or basketball players or athletics and not tribes,” he stated. “Another target is to see that sports bring peace and unity among our youth and we want Eastern Equatoria State to be an example to South Sudan.”
For his part, Philemon Lopita, Deputy Mayor of Torit Municipal Council, acknowledged that peace and unity can be attained through sports and lauded the NOC for celebrating the day in the state.
“The Olympics is one of the uniting factors that brings people together. If people are playing a game, they ululate and laugh, and the losers will not even mourn. The winners will celebrate but many people will celebrate with them,” he said. “Olympics bring people together from all over the world to represent their nations. And that is the significance of peace.”
Meanwhile, Magret Idwa Okuye, the Eastern Equatoria State Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, expressed the government’s commitment to allocate spaces for sports in the state.
“Thanks to all those who attended the occasion and my statement is that I am hoping to get sports fields in all areas. I want to allocate enough space for us to participate in all forms of sports even ten football fields, so, it is our priority,” she pledged. “We have this space here and another one a bit far from the town, so, when you come next time, you will find us having more sports spaces.”
For his part, Pastor Santo Isko, the representative from the state education ministry, expressed happiness during the celebrations, saying it was long overdue.
“It is a pleasure that the International Olympic Day celebrations were brought here as the state has been longing for this. All activities should be supported by the organizations present here for everything to go smoothly,” he asserted. “We in the education ministry will collaborate with the state’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.”