The long journey of the 2013-2014 football season in Somalia has concluded with a colourful ceremony during which Banadir Sports club who won the Nation Link Telecom championship and as well as the winners of division B and C Sahafi FC and Singjet FC were presented their trophies.
Held at the Holiday hotel in Mogadishu on Monday, the closing ceremony attracted a number of high level sporting officials, businessmen, club authorities, legends and key football players.
Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab who first addressed at the closing ceremony said that division B and C competitions continued between April-October 2013, while the Nation Link telecom championship which is the most populous sporting event in the country continued from November 2013 to April 2014.
“On behalf of Somali Football Federation I would like to thank Nation Link Telecom for showing its commitment to supporting football in the country—the SFF and Nation Link have been cooperating since 2008 when the telecommunications company started to help finance local football activities” Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab told the ceremony.
He said that the company did not confine its assistance to only financing the league, but also sponsored the closing ceremony which was held at one of the most beautiful sites in the country.
Former Ocean stars playmaker and current Somali NOC executive committee member Haji Mohamed Ahmed Olow lauded for the continuation of football development programs in the country.
For his part, the director general of the ministry for youth and sports Saa’ed Ahmed Baariyow added that Somali government was seeing a better future of football in the country saying that his ministry had high hopes according to the way of football promotion in Somalia currently.
Nation Link Telecom General Manager Ahmed Abdi Diini who delivered a short address at the gathering said that his company was happy to develop long-lasting co-operations with Somali Football Federation.
“On behalf of Nation Link Telecom I pledge here in front of you that we will continue assisting Somali Football Federation—this time we helped the Division A league, but I am hopeful we will increase our involvement in football development programs in the country” Mr Diini added.
Somali Football Federation President Ali Said Guled Roble concluded the ceremony with thanking both local and international media for putting Somali football activities before an international audience.
