Dahabshiil pledge to support sports in Africa
Africa’s leading money transfer company Dahabshiil has committed to develop basketball in the region by supporting a partnership and exchange programme between regional teams and those in the United States of America.
The US Metro Alliance basketball team from Minnesota is currently in Somaliland capital to play a series of matches with clubs from the Horn of the Africa nation.
Metro Alliance, which also has players of Somali origin in America, is set to play the Hargeisa local government team and the Ministry of Energy teams who play in the Somaliland Serie A basketball league.
Dahabshiil, who has facilitated the US team to travel to Hargeisa for the tournament, says the long term plan is to help develop local basketball talent in the country and the region.
“The aim of the tournament is to connect local and foreign teams to help build talent in the country and by extension the region,” said the company’s Chief Executive Officer Abdirashid Duale.
“We have been in the forefront in sponsoring local sports because we believe our youth need to be engaged in sports and we all know sports is an international language that connects the youth and countries together,” he added.
He said Dahabshiil has always encouraged youth integration and involvement in activities that keep them healthy and away from social vices like crime and substance abuse and that’s why the company has continued to support sports in the Horn of Africa region.
The money transfer company has in the past sponsored football events in the country where the population of the youth is at 60 percent.
“We love the way Dahabshiil has brought Minnesota Somali basketballers together with our brothers in Hargeisa,” said talented young basketball player, Hamze Saeed. “It’s the same model as remittances, keeping Somalis together in solidarity from all corners of the world.”
Dahabshiil marketing executive Saad M Abdi said the company will continue encouraging the youth to take up sport and will help talented youth achieve their dreams of playing at the highest level in sport.
“The company has engaged in supporting and empowering the youth through sport over the last two decades and we will continue using our position to open up opportunities for the youth. This basketball tournament is just one of the avenues we are using to empower the youth,” said Saad M Abdi.
Muse says the basketball tournament between the US team and local clubs in the region is one among many that the company will be supporting now and in future.