By Bockarie Allieu
FREETOWN, Oct. 11 (SALONE TIMES) – Other sporting disciplines which much more financial integrity are strangulated of funds while football is enjoying huge resources from government blighted by recklessness.
Just a 54 man football delegation left Freetown for a friendly in Morocco, a red flag was raised as to the number of people who departed Sierra Leone for Morocco in the Leone Stars delegation.
This concern was raised by the Team Manager of the Leone Stars Football Team, Babadi Kamara ahead of upcoming friendly matches to be played in Casablanca, Morocco.
In a letter to the President of the Sierra Leone Football Association, Team Manager Babadi Kamara disclosed that the approved number of delegates by organizers is 40 per country.
“It is my understanding that the current number of people on our team delegate list stands at 53, far above the maximum,” Babadi Kamara stated.
He called on the SLFA President to take urgent action in order to ensure that reckless spending of tax payers’ money is avoided.
He also cautioned on the seeming embarrassment it will bear on the organizers who will be booking them on a number which they didn’t cater for.
He maintained that the successful outcome of the match for Leone Stars is about the number of delegates travelling with the team.
“While I appreciate your swift handling of this matter, I would like to inform you that the success of the team is not anchored on the size of our delegation but the physical, technical and mental preparedness of our team,” he emphasized.
However, a release from the government through the Ministry of Finance indicated that government has disbursed the sum of over Le6 Billion as payment for the friendlies to Morocco.
“This payment is made in respect of allowances, accommodations, feeding, air tickets and other expenses for both players and officials of the team,” the release from Finance stated.
This reckless spending is being carried out at the expense of other sports: cricket, volleyball among others that are starved of funds.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Sports, Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) and the National Sport Council have come under intense criticism for travelling with 24 officials in 54-man delegation for a friendly match in Morocco.
