By Francis H. Murray
President Julius Maada Bio has assured board members of the National Sports Authority (NSA) of his government’s willingness to support the development of the sporting sector of the county.
He made this assurance at the presentation ceremony of the newly constituted Board Members of the NSA on Wednesday at State House office in Freetown.
“We have great talents but we need to nurture them and I leave that task to you to help the Sports Ministry to bring these talents together so [that] we can compete again at the international level. We are going to fight and make sure that you get not only the moral support but also the financial support to be able to move things,” President Bio stated at the meeting.
Presenting the board, Minister of Sports, Ibrahim Nyelenkeh, thanked the President for the audience, noting that the courtesy call was symbolic because for the first time the country was providing the kind of support required by the NSA. He said he was meeting the President to officially present the board, adding that it was a very lucrative sporting agency that would create jobs across the country.
Chairman of the NSA Board, David Woobay, lauded President Bio for appointing them to rebrand sporting activities in the country, which he said was in accordance with the New Direction Agenda. Citing the President’s successful history with sports in the country, the Chairman noted that they would look at sources of funding to augment government’s allocation to sporting activities in the country.
National Executive Director for the NSA, Kenneth Brima, said that sports stakeholders were proud of the sustained political will, commitment and dedication of the President to supporting the sector. He added that they were thankful to the government for providing the much-needed resources for the roll-out and implementation of the NSA.
In his response, President Bio said that Sierra Leone was once known for its sporting prowess in all disciplines and noted that the New Direction government was about reviving sports and every aspect of human endeavors in the country. While congratulating the new Board members, the President also said that he was very impressed by the personalities in the Board and urged them to do more.
The NSA exists to coordinate, regulate, promote and support competitive sporting activities with a view to promoting national cohesion, professionalism, excellence in sports and international recognition.
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