By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
A former athlete, Martin Momoh Bangura, has announced his bid to run for the Presidency of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA).
He announced his bid-on Saturday in a packed hall with athletes and coaches.
Bangura’s bid comes amidst concerns that the current president, Alhaji Abdul Karim Sesay, is planning to run for a third term, which is “illegal” in the constitution of the association.
“I am standing here because of the injustice in our association,” Bangura said.
“My policy in administration is teamwork. I may not have all the ideas, but if we come together, we will achieve more,” he added.
The SLAA has been rocked by leadership and constitutional crises since 2015. Currently there are controversies about the constitution and the tenure of the Presidency.
The Association is set to go into an elective congress on the 26th of February this year in Kenema.
Bangura said his position as a former athlete gives him a unique advantage to lead the association.
“As the saying goes, who feels it, knows it,” he said.
Bangura had already led the organization before, after he was elected unopposed by the delegates in 2015. Sesay boycotted that elections.
Both men ran parallel associations for some time, before the Ministry of Sport struck a deal with both parties.
“I sacrificed the presidency for him in the interest of the athletes,” Bangura said.
