14/05/2026
message from your son, Don Majak Alei Monydeng
My People, Lou community
My brothers and sisters, elders and youth of the Lou community,
Today I wrote this with a heart heavy with sadness.
I was prepared. I trained, I believed, I carried in my chest the name of the Lou. I was ready to step onto that field, that stage, that tournament as your son, to represent you, to let the name of Lou be spoken and honored in victory. It was more than a game to me. It was a chance for us to stand up, to see our own colors raised, to celebrate something that was ours.
But that day will not come. Not this time.
And it hurts, because this is not the first time. We are a people of talent, of strength, of sons and daughters who carry greatness in their blood. Yet too often, we do not gather to celebrate our own victories on our own. Instead, we watch our talented sons showcase their gifts in other places—places where they find peace, where they are welcomed with honor, where their names are called without fear.
It is painful to say this out loud. But it is the truth we live with. Our sons go where peace calls them. They go where hands are open, not closed. They go where their talent is seen, not buried.
I will not pretend I am not saddened. I am. I mourn the chance lost for us to stand together and say, “This is Lou. This is what we can do.”
But I will not let sadness turn into bitterness. If I cannot play for Lou in this tournament, I will still play. I will play wherever peace calls me. Because a Lou son does not stop being Lou when he crosses a border or steps onto another field. Wherever I go, I carry you with me. Every goal, every effort, every moment of honor I earn will be in your name.
One day, I believe, the time will come when we do not have to send our best away to find peace and honor. One day, we will build a place where our victories are celebrated here, among us, by us. Until then, know this: I have not forgotten you.Thanks