The Somali Football Federation (SFF) on Friday held a huge ceremony to inaugurate President Said Mahmoud Nur who has been re-elected to the post of presidency on 19th of July to lead the federation for another four years.

The inauguration ceremony held at Mogadishu’s Sahafi International Hotel attracted may high profile sporting dignitaries including Somali youth and sports minister, Somali Olympic Committee president and other revered sporting individuals including Somalia’s first ever national team captain Mohamed Qalaf Aden Shangole and Mohyaddin Mahmoud Mohamed (Farqajan) one of Somali’s first four international football referees.

 

Somali Football Federation secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab who first addressed at the inauguration ceremony said that his federation became the first sporting association in Somalia, which spread its activities throughout the country.

 

“As every one is aware, we have representatives from regions, coaches, referees and old players in our executive committee and that will help our new policy to strengthen football in all Somalia, from villages, districts, towns and regions in the country” the SFF secretary general said during his address.

 

“I think we have opened a new door for other sporting federations in Somalia and I hope they will follow behind our foot steps,” Mr. Abdi Qani Said Arab added transferring the microphone to President Said Mahmoud Nur.

 

The president said he was very delightful that the country’s football structure has been completed and that SFF will do what ever it can to be able to heal the past wounds.

 

“We have not been elected to sit on the beautiful chairs at offices and stay with doing nothing, but  the reason we were elected was to do our duties faithfully and in accordance with the constitution, so to accomplish such hard job in this chaotic country which is now under going a very difficulty situation, when it comes to humanity and security, we need the assistance of every football loving individual” the inaugurated president stated.

 

The president of Somali Olympic Committee Aden Hajji Yabarow for his part said that spreading sport throughout all regions was the first priority of the Olympic Committee, saying that every federation must fulfill the promises by its leaders before they were elected.

 

“I take advantage from such occasions and I am once again telling the authorities of sporting Federations in Somalia to have the job done regularly, because every federation will be valued with what it has done” the Somali NOC president said.

“As soon as possible we will form a special committee whose job will be to check whether the sporting federations under the umbrella of Somali Olympic Committee are doing their job as wanted or not” the Somali NOC president added during his address at the inauguration ceremony on Friday.

 

Somalia’s first ever National Football team captain Mohamed Qalaf Aden (Shangole) who addressed at ceremony praised the Somali Football Federation for its past activities and encouraged SFF authorities to redouble their efforts.

 “Taking advantage from this golden opportunity today, I would like to tell with a loud voice that I am very happy that International Football Federation (FIFA) invites old players to its major events like the World Cup, but there are some who were forgot like me and I am very hopeful that we will have in the near future” said the old captain who was also one of the founders of Somali sport.

 

Somali Youth and sports minister Khadija Mohamed Diriye who said that Somali government is prioritizing sport, because sport specially the football can help rehabilitate the thousands of children who have taken up arms in the past.

 

“I am carrying a big message from Somali President and his Prime Minister and that is to congratulate you on the successful and democratic election,” the minister said in her opening remarks.

 

“A long way is ahead of us and a hard job is waiting for us, so we must work jointly because unity is power and united we stand divided we fall”  the minister said.

 

“The Somali football federation is praise worthy, because it had regional representatives, former coaches, players and referees into its executive board and this had never happened in Somalia before, so we can describe SFF the pioneer of Somali sport” she said.

 

She praised the president of the world football governing body (FIFA) Joseph S. Blatter for his great assistance in developing football in Somalia and requested him to continue such generous help to Somalia.

 

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