Upper Nile Sports Academy (UNSA) is a social sports center based in the small dusty town of Rubkona in the North of South Sudan and is part of the United Nations (UN) Civilian Protection site. Founded on July 09, 2016, by Laat Tungwar Kueiguong amidst the civil war that continued to ravage the young country, the academy has since provided a place for the displaced youth and offered direction for those in a seemingly hopeless situation through sports.
UNSA strives at promoting peaceful co-existence, Individual-elevation, Community development, and creating a holistic society through:
After a civil war that lasted for 5 years, South Sudan was a country torn apart. Even after the signing of a peace treaty, the predominance of negative peace meant hostility, fear, hatred, and intolerance amongst the local communities. With a median age of 18.1 years and unemployed, poverty was staring at the country’s youth in the eye and crime was the answer. These were desperate times! There was a need for direction and hope, hence the birth of Upper Nile Sports Academy (UNSA). We were an outfit put together in 2016 when war still ravaged our young country, stripping away community livelihoods.
Since its advent in 2016, UNSA has actively used sports as a means of peace and hope in the middle of political despair with a belief that all communities can be able to share in such a forum regardless of where they come from.
We have since beginning provided an accommodating environment for both male and female athletes. As of 2016, UNSA served 240 youths, a number which has doubled to 500 players by the first quarter of 2020. Girls for Sports Initiative comprise of 4 teams with 80 players in total.
This young generation needs to be given hope and such initiatives like UNSA go a long way in creating physical, social, economic, and psychological development.
Born from the famous Upper Nile Football Club also known as “Nile Battalion”, the academy continues to organize a number of sports activities in Bentiu and its environs. In its quest to become a top tier player in the sporting fraternity in Africa, UNSA adheres to the sport’s laws of the Republic of South Sudan and globally accepted codes of conduct in all matters sports.
Faced by the challenge of moving from place to place, UNSA is grateful to the government for providing us with 100m by 300m of land in Unity State, Rubkona County, along UNMISS road Opposite to Rubkona Airstrip where we have since transformed into our playground and educational facility.
