By Franckline Benjika W
The 10th anniversary celebrations of CSC Mbalmayo brought together over 500 people. Activities marking anniversary celebrations took place from Saturday, July 12 to Sunday 13 under the theme "Sports; an educative and pastoral challenge in Cameroon today".
In prelude to the finals of the various games, a public sports pilgrimage of 8km took place and ended at the Mbalmayo Sanctuary where the Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea Mgr Antonio Eliseo Ariotti said a Pontifical Mass that marked the closing ceremony of the games. Activities ended the following day at College NINA, Mbalmayo. Pygmies from the south participated in the games. Ahead of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the association, a press conference was organised in Yaoundé at the Maison Don Bosco on Monday, July 07.
The president of the organisation, Joseph Atanga Ndzie used this opportunity to draw the attention of media personalities to the fact that youths nowadays are running away from church and that the organisation of sporting activities in the church milieu is a means of attracting these youths.
He further explained that CSC is also involved in charitable activities, such as helping prisoners, the handicapped and the planting of trees. CSC, he notified, is open even to non Christians and its members are not forced to adhere to the Catholic doctrine. The coordinator of the CSC, Francis Kammogne, on his part revealed that Inter Milan FC of Italy is a partner of CSC. Inter he said, sends at least two trainers every year to assist CSC.
Inter also furnishes the CSC with sporting equipment. This partnership is beneficial to Inter Milan FC in that it gives the club a positive image. It is not a partnership aimed at sending young Cameroonian players to Italy. Mr Kammogne explained that CSC’s focus is not competition. "We train our children to play with each other and not to play against each other", the coordinator hinted.
The idea of supporting children in poor countries trickled into the president of Inter Milan's head when he was in Brazil to adopt his son. He saw children playing football on the streets bare-footed. He also discovered potentials in these children. He then decided he was going to help great football nations that are poor. 15 countries in the world benefit from Inter Milan FC's support. So far, Cameroon is the only African country.
CSC seeks to sensitise God’s people in Cameroon , particularly youth chaplains, Rev. Sisters that are Counsellors, Parish Priests, educators and other youth animators, to the educative and pastoral challenges that sports nowadays present not only to the sports man, but also to the supporter. The association also shares best practices as well as educative and pastoral actions through sports.
The CSC embarks on Bible studies to better define the pastoral lines in promoting sports .
After the brilliant performance of Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy where they became the first African team to reach the quarter finals, Centro Orientamento Educativo and Centro Sportive Italiano in 1993 initiated the "Sports for Africa" project. The aim of this project was to use sports as a means of promoting fraternity and development in Africa. In line with this project, the Cameroon Sports Centre, CSC was created in August 11, 1998.
By Franckline Benjika W
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