By Bockarie Allieu
FREETOWN, March 15, (SALONE TIMES) – Sierra Leone Swimming and Water Polo Association last Thursday 11 March officially launched jumping into the pool for the Japan 2020 Olympic Games preparation.
This was done just after presenting two swimmers who have qualified for the Japan 2020 Olympic Games in July 2021. The two swimmers were Joshua J. J. Wyse and Titi Dumbuya who were both on scholarship training in Senegal.
In the statement of the association, the Secretary General of the association Mohamed Turay said it has not been an easy task for the past 10-12 months since the Coronavirus deceases hit Sierra Leone.
He went on that the outbreak of the deadly virus put the whole game on standstill. But he said it came to time when the world thought they can’t sit down forever looking for COVID to go and they started to think about how to live life during this trying times.
At the end the whole world decided that while COVID is still around let them find ways to continue with life in spite of COVID.
Due to the above, he said the whole world started the reassignment of international competitions, conferences, congress meetings, recommencement of sporting activities, albeit behind closed doors with no spectators.
The above steps, he said prove that the world has decided not to sit down waiting for COVID to end. By so doing, the Swimming Association started fitness training for the swimmers out of the pool as there was still ban on the pool.
With all the above, he said the Swimming Association has never given up hope, a reason he said why they are the first to produce qualified athletes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan.
In his statement, the Chef De Mission of NOC in Sierra Leone Unisa Deen Kargbo assured the athletes and the public that up to the time he was talking it is agreed that the Olympic Games will take place this year in late July-August 2021 but said he doesn’t know whether there will be any change for the date.
He went on that they are still collating associations they have registered for the above Games and to cross check whether there are errors or not.
He further stated that they are going to offload athletes and coaches who do no longer more stand the chance to qualify for the Games.
In April 2021, he said they will finally clean up the system to see who and who will be going to the Games and the accreditation will now be set for those who will be making up to the Games. For those who may not make it up to the Games, he said there are other Games ahead like the Islamic Games in Turkey this year and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year and other competitions so he encouraged them to start training hard now.
The Secretary General of NOC Joseph Nyande advised all athletes that will be going for the games that they don’t want to travel with an athlete that is not clean.
This, he meant they don’t want any athletes to take in any performance enhancing drug and involve in Anti-Doping things that will make sure their country will not be in the good book of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) and also the regional associations who do check whether the athletes are doing fine.
He went on that he is saying this because they don’t want skeleton in their cupboard that will be exposed one day. He told them that the NOC president Dr. Patrick Coker is the Chairman of Medical and Anti-Doping commission in Africa and he too is a member.
He ended up by advising all to stay away from taking any of these drugs. The NOC President Dr. Patrick Coker congratulated the two swimmers who will be going to represent Sierra Leone and say they will be going there to serve as ambassadors for the country in Japan as they are going to fly the country flag high.
This, he said is an honor to them and the country as for this time they are going with qualified athletes. He went on that the role of NOC is to help people, athletes and coaches who are doing well and went on that they are always ready to see athletes doing well and they are happy this time they have athletes who have qualified out of the country for the Games. He went on that they want these athletes to go and perform well in the Games and not to relax and at the end seeing them on TVs bowing down their heads at the end instead of going to collect medals.
He called on the athletes who did not qualify not to feel discourage as their own time will one day come and appealed to them to help the two swimmers during training to improve on their timing. Hawa Duada a female Sports Journalists talking on behalf of the Women and Sports Commission advice Titi Dumbuya to be a role model both at home and away and to concentrate more on her training.
