BY BOCKARIE ALIEU

232NEWS, FREETOWN —

The President of the Sierra Leone Judo Association Idrissa Massaquoi who also doubles as the NOC Vice President presented four Judo athletes to the NOC executive at their Walpole Street Head office in Freetown.

According to him, two of the four athletes took part in the Africa Judo championship in Niger on the 27^th June 2023. The two were Mariama Koroma who won a silver medal in the 63kg female category fight was with Isha Memunatu Kamara. Mariama Koroma he said is one of the best female Judokato that has won medal for Sierra Leone in international competitions. Also among were Mohamed Kamara who participated in the Africa Championship in Abidjan. Mohamed went onto the quarter-final stage and also in the Abidjan competition was Francis Massaquoi who also tried his best but could not win a medal.

After the Championship he said the Judo technical committee selected two Judokas to take part in a training in Switzerland. According to him the one week training program was funded by the Olympic Solidarity, the international Judo Federation and the National Olympic Committee in Sierra Leone. The two athletes Mariama Kamara and Francis Massaquoi were accompany by the Head coach Harris. The president went on that they have set a record to send athletes to Europe and they all return back. In addressing the athletes the NOC President Prince Sualley first commended the two athletes who went to Switzerland concentrate on their training and forget about running away like the others have been doing before. This he said is letting sports become very difficult to grow in Sierra Leone. He went on to assure them that more similar trainings are ahead which can make them be professional Judokas. Prince Sualley went on that his administration will make sure that athletes will no more go to Europe or overseas to run away. Prince also threw a challenge to the other athletes in the other sports to follow what the Judokas have done as they will enjoy more travels out of the country. He told the young lady who won the silver medal not to relent and to train hard to qualify for the Olympic Games and the other Games. Mariama told SALONE TIMES Sports that her immediate aim is to set another record to be the first female Judoka to qualify and represent Sierra Leone in the coming Olympic Games in France.