Calling for peace
Teams from across U.S. convene in Albany to play, and celebrate Sudanese culture
Teams gathered for a tourney that was about more than just soccer.
Teams from around the country gathered at Afrim’s Sports Park on Saturday for the 18th annual Sudanese American Soccer Federation tournament.
But the gathering is about much more than soccer.
The tournament is hosted in different states each year. Albany had hosted a smaller version in the past, but this is the first time the capital city hosted the
full-fledged tournament. The traveling tournament has been previously held in cities such as Richmond, Boston and Philadelphia.
Eleven teams competed, some coming as far away as Arizona. It took months of planning, and tournament director Nazar Elamin said it’s more than a sporting event.
“This is not just soccer,” Elamin said. “It’s our culture and a tournament.”
For Elamin, it’s important to show the younger generation how to explore both of their cultures: Sudanese and American.
“We’re trying to combine American culture and the Sudanese culture. Our kids, they were born here. They’re Sudanese and they’re American,” Elamin said. “We need to teach kids to be a part of the society they are living in. You need to volunteer and become a part of the community.”
Sudanese culture was present in several aspects of the event, from the opening ceremony to the food that was served. All of it was donated and about 60 percent of it was homemade.
Between games there was a ceremony that included the playing of the Sudanese national anthem and the performance of traditional dances. At one point, people from the audience joined in and danced.
Although it was a day of celebration, there was a somber undertone. During the opening ceremony children held signs — many referencing a June massacre in Sudan. One child held a sign that read “No more violence, no more hate.”
Sudan is currently going through a period of deadly unrest. Conflict started last year and has continued through the removal of the country’s longterm president in April, a military takeover and a crackdown on protesters in June by heavily armed paramilitary forces that killed scores of people.
There was also a large banner displayed at Saturday’s event that read “Justice. Peace. Freedom.” Yasir Nasir, president of the Albany club, said the sign was to remind everyone what was happening at home. It elicited some conversations among some of the younger children about what was happening overseas, Nasir said.
“We need to explain to kids why it’s there,” Nasir said of the banner.
However, he still described the event as a celebration. He compared the event to a family picnic.
“We always greet each other like we’ve known each other for a long time, but we might have just met today,” Nasir said.
The tournament has been a long-anticipated event for many, drawing large numbers, resulting in over 300 hotel rooms being booked.
It also meant a great deal for local players to see the tournament hosted in their home town. Mohaned Yousif, a player on Albany’s team, said he looked forward to having the home field advantage.
“It’s important to us to put on a good show,” Yousif said. “It’s exciting, and it helps the players because we don’t have to travel as much and we’re more well rested.” He said the team made a more rigorous training regime to prepare for the tournament, adding there was a lot of hometown pride associated with it.
“We’ve been prepping all summer, but we’ve been looking forward to it all year ever since we knew we were going to host it,” Yousif said. “There’s a lot of pride associated with this tournament within the community.”