Historic Vote in Juba
Delegates from across South Sudanese sporting federations gathered in Juba on Saturday, electing Chuol Laam to steer the National Olympic Committee until 2029. Observers described the atmosphere as disciplined, with electronic counting replacing the paper ballots of previous years.
Securing 38 of 41 ballots, Laam termed the result “humbling”. He outlined priorities of athlete welfare, transparent budgeting and early preparations for Los Angeles 2028 and the 2027 African Games.
Fresh Executive Team
Joining Laam is entrepreneur Majok Ayii as First Vice-President, engineer Anna Nyakuet Taker as Second Vice-President, veteran sprinter Chol Ani as Secretary-General and accountant Bull Koryom as Treasurer.
Board members Deng Abdelrhaman, Paul Puk and Samuel Pawan complete the nine-person management that will guide South Sudanese sport through two Olympic cycles.
Breakthrough for Women’s Representation
Taker’s elevation is being framed by commentators as a watershed for gender inclusion. Only months ago she protested an earlier disqualification from the national football election, labelling the process “unfair and corrupt”.
Visibly moved after the announcement, she pledged to “defend women, athletes and fans with dignity, transparency and harmony.” Civil society groups applauded the statement, noting that only 22 percent of leadership posts in South Sudanese sport are held by women.
Immediate Tasks and Regional Context
Analysts believe the new committee’s first test will be securing funding for high-performance training camps, as the global recession has tightened donor budgets.
Neighbouring Uganda and Kenya already run altitude programmes that attract international athletes. Laam suggested collaborative deals, adding, “We prefer partnerships that grow East African sport, not rivalry.”
Closer to home, the committee will reopen stalled construction of the Juba Olympic Complex, a multi-sport facility originally planned for 2023 but delayed by flooding and procurement hurdles.
Outlook to 2029
If the roadmap succeeds, South Sudan could send its largest delegation yet to Brisbane 2032, capping a transformative eight-year tenure.
For now, athletes such as 400-metre hopeful Abraham Guem see the vote as “a green light for serious preparation”. The sprint toward continental podiums has officially begun.