A joint delegation consisting of Somalia’s minister for youth and sport, the president of Somali Football Federation and his senior vice president toured the country’s national facility Mogadishu Stadium and several other locations within the sports village on Sunday, 26th of march 2023.
The officials toured the National facility Mogadishu Stadium, the ill-equipped futsal ground and the Ocean Stars Hotel which is now in its final phase as it is being renovated under the FIFA Forward project.
During the tour, Somali Football Federation President, Ali Abdi Mohamed and his senior vice president Ahmed Farah Takal, walked the minister for youth and sport, Mohamed Barre, through the buildings to show him around some of the important parts of the facility and its surroundings.
At the end of the hours-long working visit, the sports minister and the president of Somali Football Federation jointly briefed the media.
“It is my pleasure that my senior vice president and I are part of this high profile delegation led by the minister and that we have been able to take the minister around this massive sports village. Many parts of the village including the Ocean Stars hotel and Mogadishu Stadium were renovated, but still we have so many things to do” Somali Football Federation, Ali Abdi Mohamed, told the media during Sunday’s working tour to Mogadishu Sports Village.
The president took this opportunity to thank the minister for youth and sport for cooperating with his federation towards the promotion of football in the country and he promised that the SFF and the ministry of sport will continue to work hand in hand towards the development of the country’s football.
On his side, the minister for youth and sport Mohamed Barre Mohamud, commended president Ali Abdi Mohamed and his team for doing all they could to develop football in the country. “Mr. president I thank you and your vice president for the fantastic work. Football is not only a game to play but it also plays an important role in the integration of the people and as well as the development” the minister said.
“Soon we will embark on a huge campaign that will see the reconstruction of several sporting sites. I urge on the Somali people to join the campaign” the minister added as he also called on the business companies to invest in the sport.
“Nowadays sport is a big income generation tool and if it is not number one I am sure it is number two in terms of advertisements and income generation. I urge the business people to use sport as a means to promote their businesses” Somalia’s minister for youth and sport noted.
The working tour to Mogadishu Stadium comes as the country prepares for the Inter-State football tournament which is an annual event that brings together footballers and fans from across the country. Last year was an unfortunate year as many people missed the event which wasn’t organized.
