A total of 27 teams from Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia and host Kenya participated in a four-day' football tournament in Lodwar, Turkana County that aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence in the region.
The tournament ended on Monday with Ngoro FC of Uganda clinching the Ateker Cup of Nations after beating Kakuma United Fc 4;3 in post-match penalty shootout in a match played at Lodwar Mixed primary school.
The event attracted hundreds of fans from the region and a high delegation including Cabinet Secretary for East Africa Affairs, Arid and semi-arid lands and regional development Beatrice Askul, Ugandan minister for Karamoja Affairs Peter Lokeris, Turkana County senator James Lomenen; Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed and Speaker of the County Assembly of Turkana Charles Lokiyoto among others.
Speaking during the presentation of awards to top performers, Askul said the tournament is a major milestone in cementing relations between the neighboring countries and promoting peaceful coexistence. "The Ateker culture is a testimony to our interconnectedness and reminds us that despite the boundaries that separate us, our shared history and aspirations bring us together as one people," she said.
