As the OlympAfrica with the help of Barcelona foundation recently carried out its first training programs for young coaches at schools in the capital Mogadishu, the country’s National Olympic committee said that the FutbolNet training program was a major breakthrough for the lawless country.

Somali NOC secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah said that his committee has been working on the implementation a successful OlympAfrica Futbolnet training program for a period of time as part of their efforts to establish sporting programs at schools across the country.

“OlympAfrica has been involved in Somalia since 2009 when Somalia won its first ever OlympAfrica development project, but the recent training course for school coaches was the first such training program that the African sporting body organized in Somalia and it went on successfully” Secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah said in a press statement on Saturday.

He thanked the OlympAfrica for its continued efforts to help promote a successful sport in the war-ravaged country which was the last of 35 African countries to benefit from OlympAfrica.

“The construction of OlympAfrica centre in Somalia that was built in the city of Garowe, the provincial capital of the Puntland state was a step forward and as well as a good beginning for more OlympAfrica development programs in the country” Somali NOC secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah said in his Saturday’s press statement.

“After the successful end to the constriction of the Garowe centre, we asked the OlympAfrica to build for us another centre in the capital Mogadishu, but due to lack of funds for more other centres in the Africa continent, the OlympAfrica instead accepted to help Somalia with other development programs including trainings at schools who have their own playgrounds” Secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah noted in his press statement.

He said that other major development programs including: IAAF Athletics program and AMSUNG program will follow in the near future.

“On the behalf of Somali NOC, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the IOC, OlypmAfrica, the Barcelona foundation and other international sporting organizations who are playing a key role in the recovery of sport in Somalia after more than two decades of setbacks due to the prolonged civil wars and terrorism impacts” Somali NOC secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah said in his press statement.

By Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar

Email:shaficiislow@yahoo.com