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Abaarso Tech defeated Prison Corps 36-25 in the final game of a two-week basketball tournament that concluded Monday (June 11th) in Somaliland.

The competition was organised by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Somaliland Basketball Federation, and was funded by Mercy Corps in collaboration with US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Somaliland Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Ali Said Raygal said the competition was part of the ministry's efforts to strengthen sports in Somaliland and help youth develop their physical and mental abilities.

The tournament was the first of its kind in Somaliland since the central government of Somalia collapsed two decades ago, according to the director of the Somaliland Basketball Federation Mohamed Abdullahi Qodah.

He said it held "important significance for the sports community in Somaliland".

Six teams participated in the tournament at the Timo Adde Stadium: Abaarso Tech, Prison Corps, SOHASCO (a local non-governmental organisation), Alpha University and two teams representing Mohammad Moge and Jigjiga-yar villages in Hargeisa.

"The aim of the competition was to encourage youth to participate in sports because integration is important for raising the level of sports [in the community]," Qodah said. "We will try our best to encourage the youth to participate in sports to divert them from indulging in criminal activities and substance abuse, which is a problem in Somaliland."

The closing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Prison Commissioner Mohamed Hussein Farah, Secretary General of Somaliland's Ministry of Information Faisal Ali Sheikh, Director General of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Mustafe Mohamed, the director of the Somaliland Basketball Federation and basketball fans.

"In any competition, one of the two competing teams wins, and it makes the losing team work and try harder to win in the next competition," Raygal said in a speech during the closing ceremony.

The commander of the Prison Corps team congratulated Abaarso Tech for their win. "We will try our best to win the competition next year and I will strengthen my team," Farah said.

Raygal presented the tournament cup to Abaarso Tech and congratulated them. He also gave sports uniforms to two players, the player who scored the most baskets during the competition and the tournament's best player.

Raygal said his ministry plans to build more sports stadiums in order to give youth the opportunity to participate in different kinds of sports and encourage them to be more interested in sports.

"I would like to appeal to private companies and international and local organisations to help us execute these plans," he said.