Awerial County and Eastern Bahr Naam of Rumbek East County last Sunday won the Lakes State New Year peace wrestling tournament after defeating Yirol County by 7 to 5.
The tournament was organized by the state peacebuilding ministry under the theme; ‘wrestling for peace and community social cohesion in Lakes State’.
Addressing masses that turned up for the event at the Rumbek freedom square, Lakes State Governor Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor declared Awerial County the winners and said 2022 should be a year of peace.
“The person believed to be strong is the one who is satisfied and owns everything,” Governor Tueny said. “The Lakes State community has suffered for 13 years due to inter-communal violence and we have to put in our prayers to God so that we enter the New Year in peace. If it is about the population, we have it. And if it is about power and intelligence of mind, it is also found here in Lakes State.”
He thanked peace partners and Oxfam in Rumbek for supporting the state in organizing the wrestling tournament for peace in Lakes State.
For his part, the state minister of culture, youth, and sports, William Koji Kirjok, revealed that Governor Tueny donated SSP 1.8 million as a reward to winners and participants in the wrestling tournament.
“Awerial County won 7 to 5 against the counties of Yirol West and East, while Eastern Bahr Naam won 5 to 3 against Western Bahr Naam of Rumbek East County during the tournament,” Minister Koji said.
The Wulu County folklore dancing group was awarded a gift of SSP 200,000 for entertainment while the Rup and Pakam communities of Rumbek North and Rumbek Central counties were given plows and clothes for maintaining and enforcing a local order banning the consumption of alcohol in their areas.
The chairman of the Awerial County wrestling team, Bub Mading, said that the wrestling tournament ended successfully and in peace and attracted hundreds of spectators from across the state.
“It is the first time for the people in Awerial County, particularly the wrestlers, to come and participate in a tournament in Rumbek freedom square,” Mading said. “We appreciate it because it brought a large number of people together and it ended peacefully. This is an introduction to the game for those in the Agar community who do not know wrestling.”