1st March, 2021 (SALONE TIMES)
FREETOWN –When the organizers released the Playbook for Japan Olympic Games it was mentioned that taking the COVID vaccine usually helps and if that is the case they want everybody going to the Games to be vaccinated. According to the Playbook, in some advanced countries people are not forced to take it if they are not comfortable with it. On the day of presenting the Playbook at OlympAfrica Center Dr. Patrick Coker told the audience that some countries are now planning to vaccinate their delegation before they depart but he said they don’t know yet what will be on the case of Africa as there was no Vaccine yet in Africa. Few days ago a 200,000 vaccine bottles arrived from China to be used in Sierra Leone.
In another development the President of the Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mustapha Berraf, has communicated that the government of
Russian has promised 10,000 x 2 Vaccines for African Athletes & Officials that will be participating in the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July this year. In a special message across Africa he noted
“Dear colleagues and friends, I have the honor to inform you that the partnership with the Russian NOC for the delivery of vaccines by Russia to our African NOCs via the governments and the African Union has been approved in principle and remains awaiting the final agreement of the government. Dr. Patrick Coker, President of the Medical Commission in Africa is in charge of the operation and you will be regularly informed of what follows. The IOC is closely following this important partnership operation with the Russian NOC as well as the African Union. Fraternal greetings”
The message further emphasizes the need to encourage all Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic participants to ensure they are vaccinated for the safety of all at the games and the people of Japan. The details of how the distribution will be done are yet to be released. The president of the NOC Sierra Leone since his appointment as the Head of the Medical Commission of Africa Olympics and the only African in the IOC Medical has diligently discharged all his duties. He has organized many webinars and contributed to the development of Covid 19 Safe Sports regulations.
Receiving the news at home sports enthusiasts have congratulated Dr. Coker for putting Sierra Leone in a respectable position in the world sports calendar. They went on that it was big relief not only for Sierra Leone but Africa as a whole. Already under his tenure as NOC SLE president many positive things are unfolding including the ongoing preparation to construct a headquarters. Recently, he participated in a street cleaning exercise initiated by ANOCA.
