By Barrie Alpha
Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which will take place this year in July, the Sierra Leone Swimming, Diving and Water Polo Association (SLSDWA) on Thursday March 11th 2021 officially launched ‘The Jumping into the Pool’ at the Siaka Steven Stadium Swimming Pool.
SLSDWA presented, to the National Olympic Committee (NOC), two swimmers, including Joshua Wyse and Titi Dumbuya who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games. They are also on scholarship training in Senegal.
Making his statement, on behalf of the Association’s President, the SLSDWA Secretary General, Mohamed Turay, said it had been a herculean task for the past 10 to 12 months since the Coronavirus pandemic hit Sierra Leone and left everything in a standstill. He underscored that it came to time when the world think they can’t sit down forever looking at COVID-19 going on. They started thinking about how to live life during the trying times.
“The whole world decided that, while COVID-19 is still around, let them find a way to continue with life in which the whole world started the reassignment of international competitions, conferences, congress meetings, recommencement of sporting activities, albeit behind closed doors with no spectators,” he said.
He further stated that the Association started to train; first by killing the fatigue in the swimmers out of the pool, as there was still a ban on the pool, noting that, despite the trial times, they never gave up hope, which is the reason they are the first to produce qualified athletes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
In his brief statement, the Chef De Mission of Sierra Leone, Unisa Deen Kargbo, assured everyone that the Tokyo Olympic Games will commence in July this year. “We are going through the data collation for athletes in the different Associations. We’ve previewed all the documents to know if there are errors. In April we will know who will actually make it to the Games,” he stated.
He encouraged the athletes that will not make it to the Games. “The encouraging news for you is that, after the Games, we have the Islamic Solidarity Games, which will take place in Turkey late this year. Next year, again, we have another set of games, including the Commonwealth Games,” the Chef De Mission said.
The Secretary General of NOC, Joseph Nyande, advised the athletes to refrain from taking performance enhancing drugs. “We want clean athletes; athletes that do not take performance enhancing drugs and also involve in things that are against the anti doping, which will make sure that Sierra Leone will not be in the books of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the Regional Association, which the Chairman of the Olympic Committee and Chairman of Medical and Anti Doping Committee in Africa. Do your very best to make sure you use your natural potential to win laurels. Don’t take or use performance enhancing drugs or relating substances to win you medals. I and the President, NSA and Ministry of Sports are in the national Anti Doping Organization of Sierra Leone.
In his brief statement, NOC’s President, Dr Patrick Coker, congratulated the two swimmers that will be representing Sierra Leone, citing that “They are our ambassadors and it is an honor for not only them but also for us. One of the functions of the NOC is to make sure that we support athletes, officials. We really want them to compete not only to participate. We are very happy that we are sending two people who are very exposed. They’ve been to several competitions before; this is now the opportunity for them to train, ‘Jumping into the Pool.’ The other swimmers who are not qualified your time will come. We will also make the provision to support them so that they will improve on their timing, skills and their performance.”
Female sport journalist, Hawa Duada, made a statement on behalf of the Women and Sports Commission and further advised Titi Dumbuya to be a role model and concentrate on her training.