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Football to promote integration

Football to promote integration As part of the celebrations marking the 48th anniversary of ECOWAS, the Centre for Youth and Sports Development sponsored a football tournament in Ouagadougou. The final stage of the tournament took place this weekend. Football is a mass sport that brings together communities, peoples and nations to promote common goals: entertainment, peace, social harmony and integration. It is therefore a powerful tool for integrated development and social cohesion. It also serves as a learning environment for young people in promoting collective values for the well-being of communities. ECOWAS, through its specialised agency, the Centre for Youth and Sports Development (CDJS), is committed to promoting and nurturing young people’s talents. The 9th edition of the ECOWAS Youth Tournament, held as part of the celebrations marking the 48th anniversary of the organisation’s existence as a community institution serving its peoples, reached its climax on 27 May at the Burkina Faso Armed Forces Sports Union ground. Eight teams took part in the tournament. The final was kicked off by the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Burkina Faso, His Excellency Tiéna Coulibaly. In his view, by establishing the CDJS, ECOWAS enables young people from the 15 member states to flourish through sport. He congratulated the various teams and praised the professionalism of those involved in organising these activities. The final was contested by the German-Burkinabe Football Association (FOGE-BU) and AS Elites. As Elites secured a 1–0 victory. The closing ceremony featured the presentation of the various prizes up for grabs. In addition to special awards for individual and team performances, all teams that took part in the tournament received footballs from ECOWAS to bolster their kit.