The competition was inaugurated at stadium Banadir but
will be taking place at four different venues, according to Somali Football
Federation Secretary Geenral Abdi Qani Said Arab who addressed at the launch ceremony
of the on Friday afternoon 30th of May 2014.
He said that the schools will play knock out in the preliminary
round and will then be divided into 4 groups who will take part in the final round
of the competition, thanking the Plasma University for supporting the completion
and instead have the tournament titled on ‘Plasma inter-schools tournament’.
"It is really very exiting experience to have a total of 2,400
secondary school students between 15-17 years of age taking part in the
historic competition—we can say it is a gigantic and an unprecedented event,
because in Somalia’s history we never had such number of students gathering for
a single sporting competition” Somali Football Federation Secretary General
Abdi Qani Said Arab told the opening ceremony.
Main
objectives for holding such competition
Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab said that his federation has great many objectives in organizing such historical tournament. The objectives include:
·To hunt young and talented players from educational fields.
·To strengthen relations and co-operations between Somali FA and the educational families.
·To help youths at schools get sporting activities which help them in both mentally and physically become stronger.
·To make sporting programs for school children
out of their school periods to protect them from falling into the hands of
notorious warmongers or from becoming drug addicts.
Experts lead by Somali Football Federation Technical
director Awil Ismail Mohamed are responsible to hunt future under 20 National
team from the competition, as secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab told the
opening ceremony.
The deputy chairman of Plasma University Professor
Mohamed Sheik Omar said he was very happy that his university became the first
higher education centre in Somalia to support such historic competition, adding
he was very hopeful that the co-operation between his university and Somali
Football Federation will grow bigger in the years to come.
"On behalf of my university, I want to declare that
Plasma University will be a partner with Somali Football Federation in the
promotion of football in the country—already our partnership started as we are partially
financing the competition” said Professor Mohamed Sheik Omar.
He said that Plasma University will give scholarship to
the best players of the competition, including the player who wins fair play,
the top scorer and the best player.
Director of GoolFM radio Abdullahi Osman Farah told the
ceremony that his radio station is in partnership with Somali FA and the Plasma
University to give more time in covering the tournament to make the Somali
people more aware of the importance of such competition.
"GoolFM journalists including commentators, reporters and
camera operators will be ready at all four venues to give most of our air time
to the competition” director Abdullahi Osman Farah told the launching ceremony
of the competition.
Somali Football federation President Ali Said Guled Roble
said that it was part of his federation’s policy to organize such programme for
the youths specially those at high schools, adding that the SFF will continue
holding such competitions.
"We are in the process of trying to find a full sponsorship
for football development programs for school children” said Somali Football Federation
President Mr. Ali said Guled Roble before announcing the competition was open.
Somalia’s first ever National football team captain
Mohamed Qalad Aden (Shangole) was honoured to kick the first ball of the
tournament and his arrival at the scene was a golden chance for thousands of
young boys to greet him, as some of them had never met him, but only saw his pictures
on Tvs.
Central Africa and Arafat secondary school boys had the
chance to play in the opener match which ended in 2-1 in favour of Central
Africa school boys.
Somali Football Federation Media Department
Email:somalifootballmedia@gmail.com