The Fans

The Fans at the Big Game
Photo by Tom Gething, Sudan 2004

I would have titled this photo "The Boyz at The Big Game". It can be said that I tend to favor girls and women in the photos on this blog, that is true and there are lots of reasons for it. However, my love for "The Boyz" all over Africa is in reality no less than for the girls, particularly when they are young like these little guys.I want to do some more work this week with Tom's images and I am going to favor the men and boys of Sudan in the series.

I read in various news reports that the negotiations for a peace deal for Darfur is unravelling pretty fast, and that is terribly sad for all of Sudan. These little guys are growing up in a refugee camp several kilometers outside of the capitol city Khartoum. Their families have been in these IDP (internally displaced persons) camps for years and years as a result of war(s). How long must these kids wait for peace and a chance for a better life? How long???

Here is what Tom had to say about this photo and this day:

"One of the best things about living in Khartoum is that because the international community is so small you tend to know everybody. A group of us from all over (Italians, Dutch, French, Americans, British and others from Cameroon, Egypt, and Ethiopia) have a football team that play once a week on a dust pitch (no money for grass!).

The best part of this was in April when we went out to a displaced camp about 50km from the city where about 40,000 people live. We played a match against the 'Juba Allstars' - a team made up from the southern Sudanese refugees who have lived in Jebel Aulia for over 9 years. About 3000 people came to watch - it was absolutley fantastic.

As with everythig in Sudan we had to have official permission and pass through road blocks but it was worth it. I've just heard we are going back at the end of Ramadan for a rematch so when I fly back on Saturday its back to training.

In case anybody is interested the locals hammered us 6-1."

An Note from Black River Eagle:
"Well Tom, looks like Ramadan will be drawing to a close soon and the Big ReMatch should be coming up fast over there. Make sure that you get another great photo of "The Boyz" if you can."