Sports journalist Jackson Gaaniko Juakali has been elected President of the Western Equatoria State Athletics Federation.
He secured 19 out of 25 votes cast in Thursday’s election in Yambio, earning a four-year mandate to lead athletics administration and development in the state.
His election marks a new chapter in his involvement in sports, moving from sports journalism into athletics administration, where he is expected to help strengthen grassroots structures and expand opportunities for young athletes across Western Equatoria State.
Following the election, Lt. Col. Butris Safari, Women’s Representative at the South Sudan National Athletics Federation, challenged the newly elected leadership to work as a team and establish county-level athletics associations across the state’s ten counties.
Safari emphasized the importance of unity, cooperation and collective leadership, stressing that athletics development should not be concentrated in Yambio alone but extended to communities throughout Western Equatoria.
She called on the new executive to establish functional athletics associations in all ten counties to identify emerging talents, nurture young athletes and create opportunities for wider participation in the sport.
The newly elected executive comprises Jackson Gaaniko Juakali as President, Mbabazi Desire Emmanuel as Vice President, Angel Tata Taakpafi as Secretary General and Malesh Ramadan Gbinzaramba, popularly known as Kilo Amusumari, as Finance Secretary.
The election followed the dissolution of the previous executive leadership by the South Sudan National Athletics Federation, bringing an end to a four-year administration.
Juakali takes over from Alison Wande as President, while Taakpafi succeeds Mubarack Nelson, popularly known as Obamastino, as Secretary General.
Gbinzaramba replaces Wilson Ngbangate as Finance Secretary after defeating Bernadita Hipangba in the election, while Mbabazi succeeds Joy Gamboripai as Vice President.
The new administration is expected to strengthen athletics governance, expand grassroots participation and create a more structured pathway for identifying and developing athletes across Western Equatoria State.
With a four-year mandate ahead, the challenge for Juakali and his executive will be to turn the call for teamwork and decentralisation into practical action, particularly by establishing functional county associations capable of supporting athletics development beyond Yambio.
