The Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai on Friday told the Executive of the Sierra Leone Boxing Association (SLBA) that sports create jobs and bring value for money.
He made this statement during SLBA’s visit to the NSA to acquaint the agency’s leadership with its activities for the coming months.
Speaking, SLBA’s Scribe Alhaji Komba presented the British boxers who are in Sierra Leone again to request a return fight in Birmingham City on the 8th of December 2024.
Komba said they already have two boxers in Kinshasa waiting to represent Sierra Leone in the African Boxing Championship as three youth boxers prepare to depart for Montenegro for the World Youth Championship.
He told the NSA Boss that they will hold a special East vs West Boxing Championship in the east end of the city on October 26, 2024. He aligned this move with Dr. Saffa Abdulai’s vision of seeing every sporting discipline having a national identity.
Ginge, one of the British boxers, expressed his satisfaction to the Executive Director and SLBA for the chance to come back to Sierra Leone as this has opened doors to more opportunities for others. “Because of your warm hospitality, other Bristish citizens want to visit Sierra Leone,” he said, adding that the programme will help young people to get employment and stay away from crime.
In his response, Dr. Saffa Abdulai said SLBA is on the right trajectory, stating that the bilateral relationship between the UK and Sierra Leone will continue to expose local athletes and administrators to better causes.
He expressed his joy over the local competition and the representation SLBA is making in the African Championship and the Montenegro Youth Championship.
He emphasized the need for sporting associations to organize local competitions that bring together young male and female athletes. “This will boost the Five Big Game-Changers,” he said.