Khaled Osaily. خالد العسيلي رئيس بلدية الخيل السابق خالد العسيلي
Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily met this morning with a delegation from the French “Fédération Sportive et Gymnique du Travail” (SPGT) in order to discuss means to enhance the Municipality’s management of sports facilities and to agree on joint development projects targeting the youth. The meeting was also attended by Kamal Al Dweik, member of Hebron’s Municipal Council and by the municipal team supervising Hebron Municipality’s new indoor sports hall.
After welcoming the delegation, Osaily spoke about French-Palestinian ties and thanked his guest for their efforts and for the information they provided to the Municipality’s technical and managerial team. Osaily said that this visit has enabled Hebron Municipality to benefit from French know-how in the management of sports facilities. “The number of sports facilities, cultural centers and parks is rapidly increasing throughout the city and the Municipality’s staff has now accumulated a great deal of experience in these fields”, he added.
Osaily hoped that cooperation would increase in the future so as to benefit from the French experience in the management of cultural and sports facilities in Hebron Governorate, as such projects provide a real breathing space and help develop the talents of Palestinian children and youth.
Osaily also spoke about the importance allocated by him and by the municipal council to young people and to their development. “Youths make up a large percentage of the Palestinian people. The development of their talents and securing an enabling environment for them would help increase creativity and shape future leaders”, he added.
Yves Besson from FSGT thanked Hebron’s Mayor and Municipal Council for the warm welcome and hospitability they received in the city. He also touched on the development of sports and cultural facilities in Hebron and admired the team work spirit prevailing in the Municipality. “We are satisfied with what we saw in the new sports hall and we stand ready to provide all that is necessary to ensure it is run successfully. We welcome future cooperation to implement projects and programs as well as to provide training to the hall’s staff in both Hebron and France and in cooperation with clubs and other Federations. We were surprised by the technical capacities of the Municipality’s engineering and managerial staff”, he said. Mr. Besson also made some observations as to how to use space in the hall to execute sports programs.
Both parties agreed on a MoU to create an advanced training center in the indoor sports hall as well as on several training schemes for up to three years and on mutual visits. At the end of the meeting, the French delegation handed Mayor Osaily the emblem of their Federation to honor his efforts and to symbolize the great ties between Palestinians and the French.
The French delegation spent a week in Hebron during which its members got a first-hand look at all sports facilities in the city.
