BY BOCKARIE ALIEU
232NEWS, FREETOWN
On the 16 October 2023 Leone Rock Metal Company in Sierra Leone signed an MOU with the Sierra Leone Premier league at the Radison Blu Hotel in Freetown. In the MOU the metal company agreed to sponsor the Football Premier League with a whooping sum of $80,000 (Eighty Thousand Dollars US). Also in the sponsorship package, besides the cheque, the company agreed to give awards to players of the month every month onto the end of the match. The company pointed out that this is their first help in the game of football as they organized a nationwide league last year and also helped the Sierra Leone Female Premier League with funds. The company has also been involved in several developmental projects in Sierra Leone both in and out of their mining site such as the renovation of the Nixon Memorial Hospital in Segbwema. They promised to do more developmental projects in the future. Present at the signing ceremony were the Minister of Sports Augusta James Teima, the Executive Director of NSA, 1st Vice President of the Sierra Leone Football Association Harold Nat Johnson, the Premier League Board Chairman Victor Lewis and several other Sports personalities.
In her speech the Sports Minister Augusta Teima said the occasion marked her day anas being new in the office of Sports she has gained another laurel. She promised to relay the message of the Premier League Board Chairman to President Bio. She told them that she had already informed President Bio about Leone Rock’s sponsorship to football before coming to attend the occasion.
The Executive Director of NSA Dr. Kenneth Brima thanked the company for their goodwill gesture to football but also remind them to extend it to the other sports in the country. The SLFA 1st Vice President expressed the belief they have in Victor Lewis before they appointed him as the Premier League Board Chairman. He went on that before the Leone Rock sponsorship, the FA has earlier disbursed over Le1bn (One Billion Old Leones) to the board to start the league. He went on that it is the money they used to give out seed money of Le80M (Old money) to each premier league club to prepare for the league.
The Acting Secretary General Benson Bawoh informed football fans that they will be organizing 10 league matches including the premier league. The 10 leagues he said include the premier league for both male and female, the FA Cup and youth leagues for both male and female. Benson assured Leone Rock Company that they will remain as the prime sponsors until they quit. The Premier League Board chairman called the day as a remarkable day in the history of football. Victor went on to assure fans that they will watch good football this year and it will be a two-round league. He thanked President Bio for spending huge money in sports and drew the attention of the President to local league where he said they groom players to play for the national teams. He assured Leone Rock that they will not regret spending money on the premier league as their name will be heard everywhere the game is playing. Victor informed the audience that the league will kick-off on Friday in Freetown with Freetonian FC hosting Luawa FC from Kailahun, in the eastward of Freetown.
At the Angola Field on Friday, FC Kallon will host Old Edwardians. On Saturday Lamboi FC will host Real Republicans in Lungi. In Kenema it will be a battle of the newcomers as Kahunla Rangers FC host Bhanta FC at the Kenema town field. Wusum Stars will host Kolifa Stars in a derby match at the Wusum field in Makeni and in Port Loko Bai Bureh Warrious will host Wilberforce Strikers. On Sunday it will be a battle of traditional arch rivals in Freetown as East End Lions host Mighty Blackpool at the Trade Center field in Freetown, in Kono Diamond Stars will host Ports Authority FC at the Koidu town Field, and in Bo the defending champions Bo Rangers will host Freetown City FC.
At the end of speeches the management of Leone Rock, Sports Minister, NSA, SLFA members and the Premier League Board chairman all signed the MOU before they presented the cheque to the Premier League Board Chairman.
