Noumbiel: The provincial directorate of sports and recreation is organizing a leisure day and an exhibition of traditional dishes. The event, centered around the theme “The Contribution of Healthy Recreation to Population Resilience and Peacebuilding,” took place this Saturday, featuring a range of competitions in petanque, checkers, archery, Scrabble, and slingshot. These activities aimed to foster community spirit and social cohesion through recreational engagement.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the event was designed to create a space for exchange and entertainment through leisure activities, while also reinforcing community life and social cohesion among the population. Drissa Hema, the High Commissioner of the province, highlighted the importance of such initiatives in bringing people together.

Fadouga Momo, the provincial director responsible for sports and recreation in Noumbiel, explained that November 1st was specifically chosen to honor the National Armed Forces on their 65th anniversary. Emphasizing the spirit of fair play, Mr. Momo quoted Pierre de Coubertin, stating, “The essential thing in a competition is not to win, but to participate.”

The event saw an enthusiastic turnout with a total of 111 participants. The breakdown included 8 competitors for checkers, 9 for Scrabble, and 9 teams of three for petanque. In the shooting categories, 27 individuals participated in archery, while 40 took part in the slingshot competition.

Participants expressed satisfaction with the day’s events and conveyed their hopes for similar initiatives to be organized in the future.