August 17, 2011 – On Wednesday the A-Side Liaison Office hosted the annual Peacekeeping Forces Sports event 2011 at the Canada Sports Center in Metula.

The event was organized in order to familiarize members of UN peacekeeping forces deployed in the region with each other. Therefore the approximately 80 participants drawn from UNDOF, UNIFIL, and UNTSO Observer Groups Lebanon and Golan, mixed into four teams. The teams competed in five sports: soccer, basketball, tug of war, swimming, and bowling.

Although the intention of this event was a friendly trial of strength, after the kick off it was clear that in competition, the teams only knew total commitment. Everyone fought hard for every single point during the various sports in order to help their team.

For the Commanding Officers there was a separate pistol shooting competition organized at the sports centre's s range. COS UNTSO, MGen Juha Kilpiä, came first, FC UNDOF, MGen Natalio C. Ecarma III, finished second.

At the end of the day, all that really counted was to be part of this sports event, which achieved the aim of bringing several Golan peace stakeholders together in friendly competition. Keeping the peace in the Golan is sometimes achieved without uniforms.