Abdullah Al-Shadli (South24) 

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After years of stagnation due to the war, major sport activities in the governorates of South Yemen has brought back memories of previous golden periods. Tens of thousands of young people, children and football fans gathered in the main cities of Aden, Hadramout and Shabwa governorates in competitions in which local clubs competed.

The final match of the Capital Aden Cup, between Wahdat Aden Club and Al-Tilal Club, February 25, 2023 (Naguib Al-Mahboubi)

Despite the modest capabilities of clubs and teams, the deteriorating infrastructure of stadiums and stands, and the extensive damage caused by the war, these obstacles did not prevent the establishment of football tournaments, among the largest in South Yemen in recent years.

Tournaments and competitions

On February 25, "Wahdat Aden" club was crowned the Capital Aden Cup after a goalless draw and winning a penalty shootout against "Al-Tilal" club, as part of a tournament organized by the STC's Youth and Sports Department, in which the two historical clubs participated, along with 8 other clubs.

This tournament came as part of the 2023/2024 football season in Aden, sponsored by the STC's Youth and Sports Department and arranged and supervised by the Sports Office and the Football Association, which included the Capital Aden Cup, the 27th Cup of the late Ali Mohsen Al-Muraisi, and Aden Premier League 2.

The final match of the Capital Aden Cup, between Wahdat Aden Club and Al-Tilal Club, February 25, 2023 (Naguib Al-Mahboubi)

The competitions of the deceased Ali Mohsen Al-Muraisi 27th Cup are scheduled to start next Ramadan, in addition to the Aden Premier League in its second edition, at Al-Hubaishi Stadium in the historic city of Crater in Sirah district of Aden governorate. 

In Hadramout, the largest governorate in South Yemen, the cities of Mukalla and Seiyun were on a date with a hot tournament that inflamed the fans, the 7th Hadramout Football Cup, whose quarter-final matches began on January 26.

On March 3, the "Ittifaq Al-Houta" club snatched a difficult victory from the "Shaab Hadramout" club in this tournament, after a draw with a goal for a goal and penalty shootouts at the Olympic Stadium in the city of Seiyun, the capital of Wadi Hadramout.

In the same tournament, the city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout, witnessed several matches that were distinguished by a large attendance, such as the match that brought together "Tadhamon Hadramout" and "Al-Mukalla" at the deceased "Baradam Stadium" on February 3rd, and the match that brought together "Shaab Hadramout" and "Tadhamon Hadramout" on the same pitch on February 18th.

A match between the Tadhamon Hadramout and Shaab Hadramout clubs at the deceased Baradem Stadium in Mukalla, February 18, 2023 (Osama bin Makhashin)

The city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa governorate, is hosting the competitions of the 2nd edition of the Youth Championship for football clubs, at the “deceased Nasser Al-Khulaifi” stadium, which is scheduled to end in mid-March with the participation of 23 teams.

In the opening match of the tournament, on February 15, Al-Raya club defeated Shabab Markha club, 3-1. The director of the Youth and Sports Office in Shabwa, Mohsen Awad Sinan, told "South24 Center" that arrangements are being made to hold a "governorate cup competition for professional after the current youth tournament."

A match between Kifah Mayfa’a club and October Nissab club in the Shabwa Youth Tournament, February 25, 2023 (South24 Center)

"The governorate of Shabwa will host for the first time, in the near future, the first team championship for Yemeni clubs for chess, with the participation of 14 clubs. This will be an honor for us and an indication of the interest in mental and physical sports together," he added.

Efforts

Basically, the STC's Youth and Sports Department spearheads sports activities in the capital city Aden. The activities' official in the historical Al-Tilal Club, Ahmed Salem Al-Wadi, believes that the STC today is "the official sponsor of all clubs."

Al-Wadi added to "South24 Center" that "there are positive things on the ground in terms of sports projects and in terms of competitions. The past two years have been relatively better in terms of sports activity than the years that preceded them."

A match between the Tadhamon Hadramout and Shaab Hadramout clubs at the deceased Baradem Stadium in Mukalla, February 18, 2023 (Osama bin Makhashin)

Al-Wadi also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the General Football Association. He added, "Everyone is trying to be involved and look good. However, sometimes things can be different, but things look very good."

The deputy head of the STC's Youth and Sports Department, Al-Kuraihi Kanaan, discussed their ongoing activity and said that they "prepared a series of plans and ideas that will greatly contribute to the revival of Southern sports, which deteriorated as a result of the political events that South went through."

Wahdat Aden Club crowned the Capital Aden Cup, February 25, 2023 (club media)

"Plans have been prepared to form the origin of Southern sports as well as the present and future, and the most important of them is centered on reviving popular and women's sports and intensifying tournaments and sports in various governorates of South," he added to "South24 Center".

Regarding the extent of coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kanaan said: "We have played our role with the utmost of our capabilities. We hope that there will be greater coordination, interaction and cooperation by the Ministry."

In turn, the Director General of Sports Federations and Clubs at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Aden, Farhan Al-Muntasir, said that the ministry "has turfed and built new stadiums in the governorates with government funding or joint government funding with local authorities."

"Since 2015 until today, the ministry has held, directly or through sports federations and their branches in the governorates, sports championships for all games." Al-Muntasir expressed "the ministry's appreciation for the efforts made by the STC's Youth and Sports Department," he added.

Problems and obstacles

The Director of the Youth and Sports Office in Shabwa, Mohsen Awad Sinan, criticized what the Ministry of Youth and Sports provides to the office, pointing out that it is "mere crumbs that do not meet the requirements of the sports activity of clubs and branches of sports federations in Shabwa."

He added, "The lack of adequate sports facilities constitutes a difficulty. For example, the 26 football clubs in governorate have only one grass field." Hassan Masjedi, director of the Sports Office in Coast Hadramout, agrees that infrastructure is the main problem with sports activity.

The final match of the Capital Aden Cup, between Wahdat Aden Club and Al-Tilal Club, February 25, 2023 (Naguib Al-Mahboubi)

He told "South24 Center": "We are working under a difficult situation. We only care about continuing the activities of all kinds. At the level of Mukalla, we only have the stadium of the deceased Baradim, which needs rehabilitation and does not accommodate large crowds."

"Everyone has seen the crowding, which leads to injuries among the mass crowds as a result. We hope that the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the local authority will take care of this matter. There are also financial difficulties, especially with regard to allocations for clubs and sports federations," he added.

Hadrami athlete Salem Bakhit stresses the need to "take care of talents, refine and develop them, and provide modern facilities and training grounds for young people," adding: "The absence of these factors is one of the most important reasons for the weakness of sports activity in Hadramout."