On October 16, the 5th Vietnam Engineering Corps organized a multinational badminton tournament at Highway Camp within the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, vietnam.vn reported. The event, themed “Together for Peace in Abyei,” brought together peacekeeping athletes from Pakistan, Ghana, India, Nigeria, China, and Vietnam.
Highway Camp Hosts Six-Nation Peacekeeping Competition
Assigned by the mission to run the athletic program, the Vietnamese engineering team drafted the schedule, rules, and tournament plans while preparing equipment and venues. Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thanh, commander of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force and head of the 5th Engineering Team, welcomed participating delegations at the opening ceremony.
“By the medium of athletic competition, we hope to build closer bonds, mutual understanding, and cooperative ties among mission units,” Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thanh said. “For our personnel, this gathering is far more than a routine sports contest; it offers a shared platform to spread the positive values of the United Nations.”
Athletes Compete in Men’s and Women’s Doubles
The tournament featured competition across men’s and women’s doubles brackets, drawing personnel from across the six participating military contingents. Organizers awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals following the conclusion of the matches.
Athletes representing the Vietnamese engineering unit secured first-place finishes in both the men’s and women’s events.
“What struck me most was the chance to meet and trade perspectives with colleagues from entirely different corners of the world,” said Major Suleman, an infantry company commander from the Pakistani battalion. “Our daily responsibilities keep us focused on separate tasks, but sports give us a way to bridge those gaps and build lasting professional friendships.”
Multinational Coordination and Solidarity in Abyei
Mission organizers designed the tournament to encourage physical fitness and spiritual well-being among officers and staff stationed across the Abyei administrative area. The event aimed to reinforce operational coordination and mutual trust among troop-contributing countries sharing the UN mandate.
The 5th Vietnam Engineering Corps managed all logistical preparations for the day, from site construction to equipment staging. The successful execution of the tournament highlighted the engineering unit’s multinational operational capacity and initiative during their ongoing Abyei deployment.
