BY BOCKARIE ALIEU
232NEWS, FREETOWN —
The executive of the National Olympic Committee on Tuesday 8th August paid a curtsey call on the new Minister of Sports Augusta James Teima at her Bishop House office in Freetown. In his statement, the NOC President Prince V. Sualley updated the Minister about their upcoming activities.
The NOC President updated the Minister about the France 2024 Olympic Games. Before the Games, he said there will be the All Africa Games that will be hosted in Ghana March 2024. The all Africa Games he said will act as Olympic Games qualifier for some of the sporting disciplines.
He went on that presently the Commonwealth Youth Games is ongoing in Trinidad and Tobago but say Sierra Leone fails to partake because of lack of funds.
The youths, he said is the foundation of the future stars and if it continue like this sports will die out slowly. He went on that they have already received an invitation from the IOC for the Olympic Games which he said he wants the Minister to lead them to present it to the president of Sierra Leone.
Beside the invitation, he said when Sierra Leone hosted the ANOCA Secretary General meeting last year the Association of National Olympic Committee in Africa President Thomas Birtch came with a plaque for President Bio but he was not chance to meet him and present it to him.
In this case, he again said he wants the Minister of Sports to inform President Bio that they have a plaque for him from ANOCA with his name on it for his goodwill work for sports development.
Prince also said apart from the hosting, Sierra Leone is also among the few countries in Africa that ANOCA has opted to fund to build an office for the NOCSLE.
Few months back, he said a portion of land at the Siaka Steven Stadium compound was giving to them but was later giving to the Chinese who are repairing the stadium to build office and dwelling place for the workers.
He went on that he is informing her about their upcoming activities so that she will push for funds for the Games. Prince told the Minister that the NOC members are committed to giving her the full support to succeed.
The new Sports Minister thanked the NOC executive for their hard work as it is due to hard work that they were able to host the ANOCA Secretary General meeting and to be invited by IOC for the France 2024 Games.
She though advised the sports members to be updating them earlier about their activities so that they will find fund for it. She though said government funds alone will not be enough for all the sports activities and went on that there is need to reactivate the Basket Fund Project that was launched by president Bio.
This, she said will help to bring in extra funds from elsewhere. She told the National Olympic Committee to work with her as she alone will not do all the work to develop sports in the country.
The Minister assured them that she will relay their message to the president about the invitation letter and the plaque. Surely, she said the President will allow them to do the presentation and update him about their activities.
The Director of Sports Haroun Korjie reassured them that the sports Ministry will do what they can with little they have to let sports grow in the country.
The Deputy Sports Minister said he was aware of the land in the stadium compound but said the Ministry will find another land if the one at the stadium will not be available.
