On the sidelines Bamenda III Council Inclusive Royal Tournament, a team of Red Cross volunteers is ensuring that players and spectators have an additional layer of protection when injuries occur.
Under the supervision of Njise John, President of the Bamenda III Red Cross Local Committee, the volunteers have been present throughout the competition so far, working alongside the medical personnel attached to participating teams.
Their presence is one of the innovations of the tournament this year, providing an independent emergency response capacity that can intervene quickly when players suffer injuries during matches.
So far, the Red Cross team has handled two major cases involving incisional wounds, both involving players from Bayelle FC and making referals to nearby hospitals after essential first aid. The cases required immediate attention, placing the volunteers in a position where their training and readiness could make a practical difference to the affected players.
For a grassroots competition involving numerous young players and played over several weeks, such a service provides reassurance to players, coaches, referees, officials and supporters that medical assistance is available should an emergency arise.
Football is inherently physical. Players sprint, collide, fall and compete for the ball, making injuries an unavoidable part of the game. Having trained first responders close to the field therefore reduces the time between an incident and the first medical intervention.
The Red Cross presence also complements, rather than replaces, the medical arrangements of individual teams.
While clubs remain responsible for the medical needs of their players, the Red Cross provides an additional community-based emergency response structure at the competition venue. This becomes particularly important when an injury requires immediate attention before a player can be transferred for further treatment.
For the Bamenda III Council Inclusive Royal Tournament, the arrangement demonstrates a growing understanding that organising a successful sporting event is not only about providing a pitch, referees and fixtures. Player welfare and emergency preparedness are equally part of the competition's success.
The contribution of the Red Cross team is also a reminder of the often unseen work that keeps community activities running safely.
The volunteers are giving their time and expertise without being the centre of attention. They remain on standby while matches unfold, ready to move into action when an injury occurs.
Their intervention in the two incisional wound cases involving Bayelle players has already demonstrated the practical value of their presence.
For Njise John and his team, the assignment is therefore not simply about attending football matches. It is an extension of the Red Cross humanitarian mission of providing assistance to people affected by emergencies and promoting preparedness, first aid and community resilience.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has a long history of humanitarian service, built around assisting people affected by armed conflict, disasters and other emergencies. National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies operate through trained staff and volunteers who provide services including first aid, emergency response, health support and community preparedness.
In Cameroon, the Cameroon Red Cross Society relies heavily on volunteers working through local structures to bring humanitarian assistance closer to communities.
That tradition of volunteer service is now visible on the football pitch in Bamenda III.
The Red Cross presence adds another dimension to the tournament's stated commitment to putting "youth at the heart of inclusion and community development."
Inclusion is not only about involving person with functional limitations, allowing young people from different communities, backgrounds and abilities to participate. It also means creating an environment in which participants can compete with reasonable confidence that their safety and wellbeing are being taken seriously.
As more matches are played and the competition moves towards its decisive stages, the volunteers will continue to occupy their position on the sidelines, ready to respond when needed.
Their hope, of course, is that their services will rarely be required.
But when an injury happens, having trained hands already at the pitch can make all the difference.
For a tournament built around young people and community participation, the presence of the Red Cross may prove to be one of its most valuable innovations.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices web
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