By Bockarie Allieu
FREETOWN, July 7 (SALONE TIMES) – Sierra Leone Cricket Association last Wednesday June presented their executive to the National Sports Authority at Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
In presenting the new Board, the Director of Participation Kelfala said since he started his job, cricket is the first he has seen voting with the raising of hands and at the end peacefully embrace themselves.
He went on that even argument among members went on peacefully. In his statement, the Executive Director of the National Sports Authority Dr. Kenneth Brima said cricket has been one of his best behaved association and they have never disappointed him.
He went on that he has worked with them since he was the Director of Sports and he believed in their hard work.
Dr. Brima said since then, there has been that mutual understanding between the Cricket Association and the Sports council.
In this case, he said they have never created problem like the other associations as there is always room to agree as one.
He thanked the Cricket members for appointing good people to run the association for the next five years.
He assured them that Cricket is one of the priority sports of the government.
The Finance Ministry, he said have asked them to prioritize some sports due to constrains of money to certify all the sports.
In this case, he said they have tried to form a sports development fund an idea he said came from the New Chief Minister so that they will have money on their own beside what the government will fund them.
He said they are now working on the paper work which they will present to the cabinet for approval. With the approval of the cabinet, they will have enough money to give the various sports for their international competitions.
In the shortest time, he said they have done a lot to improve sports in the country, a reason he said government now allocates huge money into their account to spend it on the various sports in the country.
All this, he said came about because they employed experience staffs which is making his work easy.
He told them to maintain the good work as the Bio’s family love cricket which the President late brother played.
Dr. Brima assured them and all other sports that they are always trying to do their level best and that there is no way they will have money for sports and decided to deprive a particular sports.
The Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Abdul Rahman Swaray said when he joined NSA, the Executive Director told him that cricket is one of his best sports and has find out that cricket deserves the praise from the Director due to their performance.
The new Board Chairman of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association Francis Treveo Samura outlined their immediate plans to develop the game.
He outlined plans to get more playing grounds both in the provinces and in the city. All these plans, he said they need the support of the government apart from what they will get from their sponsors.
