The National Ministry of Youth and Sport in partnership with Japanese International Cooperation (JICA) has commemorated the Annual National Unity Day (NUD) with sports activities in Juba.
The 8th anniversary of Unity Day is marked on the 28th annually since its inception in 2016.
More than 288 participants drowned from 10 states and 3 administrative areas, young girls took the biggest share with over 239 participants while young men were 49.
The Minister of Youth and Sport, Dr. Joseph Geng Akech said, the decision to have more girls is to encourage and promote equal participation and break the stereotypes, and barriers hindering girls from participating in certain sporting activities.
Minister called on young people to embrace sport as a vehicle for national unity and social cohesion.
Dr. Geng urged participants to nourish their talents and create and build strong bonds among themselves.
Dr. Geng unveiled the Ministry’s plans to prioritize and promote sporting and athletic activities among young people for the realization of peace and social harmony among different communities in the country.
The Minister said his ministry is committed to organizing the National Unity Day Sports activities annually and partners will only take complementary roles.
The director of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Edward Satimu said this year’s event will be the last to be sponsored by partners.
Satimo added that the government has already taken full custody of the event and will organize it annually.
The Charge d’I Affairs of the Japanese Embassy in South Sudan, Wannabe, urged the government to take a leading role in the event and only allow partners to contribute where necessary.
Wannabe echoed Japanese commitment through JICA to continue supporting sporting activities in the country. Participants at the event expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take part in the event.