South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Joseph Geng Akec said on Monday that plans are underway to host the first-ever sports conference in Juba to seek funds to boost sports in the country.
“We want to commercialize sports so that if you are playing, you are playing to get an income. There’s economic development for the country. But also because sports fosters peace,” said Geng at a press conference held in the conference hall of the Bank of South Sudan in Juba.
The upcoming sports conference aims to foster discussions on improving sports activities, and accelerating investment opportunities in the sector.
The event expected to be held at the end of October will be attended by various stakeholders including the private and business community.
“We are showing you the potential for investment, the commercial value in sports. You put your money, it is not a gift. Put your money, there is a reward,” said Geng.
Geng said the government will develop potential in areas of sports.
Dr. James Alic Garang, Governor of the Bank of South Sudan called for investment in sports activities.
“As a country, we have not invested so much in sports. We must challenge ourselves that sport is here for us. Sport is here to unite, as it did during the basketball competition both in Paris and in other places,” said Alic.
He said the Bank of South Sudan will continue to support the Ministry of Youth and Sports to use its conference facilities to hold sports events.
“I am just very happy that the rest of the government is beginning to recognize the need to strengthen this inter-governmental, and at the same time also make use of one another’s resources that are there for the benefit of our country,” said Alic.
