Cameroon: Second Edition of Dr. Makongo BONAVADA Tournament ends with call for unity & excellence among youth

By Christopher Ambe

Massoma kinge(middle) and other officials at the finals

The second edition of Dr.Makongo Bonavada Youth Tournament ended Sunday, August 31, hitch-free in Buea with a call  on the area youth to adopt unity and excellence  as watch words  in what ever activities  they do.

     Massoma Armstrong kinge, brother to the cup donor Dr. David Njie Makongo who is a US-based Cameroonian, made the call as he presided at the finals of the tournament in Bokova Village.

    The two-category soccer tournament, which began on July 12, saw Tripple M.FC of Bwiteva beat Wonya Moka FC of Upper Bokova by 7-2 goals in the male category.

In the female category, United Ladies FC of Bwiteva village defeated Bova United ladies FC by 1-0.

    Both category winners smiled home with trophies and cash prizes (100,000 FRS for Tripple M and 50,000 FRS for United ladies FC). There were other prizes for runners-up and individual laureates.

Massoma  greets players before starts of  match(male cat)

   The management committee revealed that this year Dr. Makongo donated 500,000 Fcfa (up from 300,000Fcfa donated last year) plus other logistic support.

 Eight male teams and four female teams participated in this year’s tournament. 

     The competition is aimed  at “fostering unity among BONAVADA youths, keeping them usefully occupied during this long vacation and helping to expose young talents in the community”, Mbua Emmanuel Mbua,chair of tournament’s management  committee  said at the finals.

    Mbua told spectators that Dr. David Makongo can be likened to “an all-time advocate of development, Unity and peace, whom BONAVADA Youths are Proud of”

He said the four teams that played the finals demonstrated qualities that our “our youths are called upon to emulate and possess, which include: self-confidence, determin

Female finals in mot

ation, hardwork and self-discipline”

   The management committee chair publicly acknowledged the contributions of some Bonavada elite, in kind or cash, towards the successful organization of the tournament, which is now a yearly event. “The game of football today has become so expensive that the Management Committee had to seek for additional support from some elites,”Mbua said.

    In his remarks, Massoma Kinge told the spectators before handing over the trophies to the winners, that his brother, the cup donor, has BONAVADA at heart and has promised to do his best to enhance development and unity in the area.

    Dr. Makongo,via his representative, called on the area youth not only to go to schools and be  educated ,but also to serve examples of excellence in whatever they do.

Cross section of  spectators at the finals

   The maiden edition of the tournament took place last year at the end of which Dr. David Njie Makongo announced his plan to construct in the near future a multi-million ultra-modern football academy in his native town of Buea.

BONAVADA is a development association made up of 13 villages along the slopes of Mt Cameroon in Buea subdivision .Dr. Makongo hails from Bova, one of the BONAVADA villages.

    Apart from the youth football tournament, Dr.Makongo also runs a scholarship program for Bonavada university students to encourage academic excellence.

Former Deputy Mayor of Buea, Lyonga Ngange and other Bonavada elites watched the finals, which many observers admit, were well organized.