News
Building Friendships through Inter-district Sports
17/07/23
"I'm very happy to be here - it is very beautiful here. I am interested in sports and meeting new people, I hope we will become friends".
Participant from Gali
From the 12th May to 17th May 2023, sporting events were held in five districts of Abkhazia, organized by the Local Action Groups (LAG) of Gagra, Gudauta, Ochamchire, Tkvarcheli and Gali districts with the support of Action Against Hunger and UNDP. These sporting events were financed by the Austrian Development Agency and the EU ENPARD programmes, with the purpose of bringing together schoolchildren from different villages and to strengthen inter-district ties, while promoting a healthy lifestyle. In total, 156 schoolchildren took part in competitions in the five districts with the aim to reach the inter district finals to be held in the following month.
On the 1st June 2023, the final was held in Tkvarcheli with the top teams from each of the five districts taking part. The competition consisted of five events with the team from Gagra district coming out on top and winning the cup. All finalists of the competition received caps and fitness bracelets as a gift.
“Like the qualifying games, the final competitions were held in a friendly and cheerful atmosphere”, said UNDP representative Inal Atumava. Although it was competitive, the guys were very friendly with each other, which is the main goal for holding such an event - to strengthen inter-district ties”. This view was shared by the President of Tkvarcheli LAG, Bella Arshba who said that “It is very good when children from different districts meet each other and communicate. As a result of these meetings, friendship is formed and relationships between the districts are improved”.
TV interview with President of Tkvarcheli LAG, Bella Arshba
At the end of the competition, an excursion to the Bedia Cathedral was organized for all participating schoolchildren. All participants stayed overnight in Ochamchire, where an entertainment program was organised for them and then, on the 2nd June 2023, the participants went on an excursion to the waterfalls in Tkvarcheli.
A second inter-district event is to be organised between the five LAGs later in the year.
Winning team from Gagra district
TV interview with AAH Head of Base, Ervin Blau