By Alpha Barrie

Two medical volunteer staff, Dr. Alpha Sorie Bangura and Haja Batheh Bangura, on Thursday, July 24th, 2025, presented their certificates and reports to the President of the National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association of Sierra Leone (NOC/CGA-SLE), Prince Vandy Sualley, at his Walpole Street office.,

The two volunteer medical staff were selected by the NOC/ CGA to represent Sierra Leone in the just conclude three days (19-21 July) Sports Medicine Seminar in Bamako, Mali, organized by Zone 2 and its partners.

Presenting his report, Dr. Sorie Bangura said the topics they covered includes medical evaluation, the different drugs that are prohibited, the medical code, the conditions that are affecting the female athletes and the physiological support for the female athletes, the IOC medical code, injury prevention, medical emergency – during a time of playing when an athlete collapse, and also the various tests that should be done for an athlete before the start of a competition.

He outlined the lack of sports medical center with trained and qualified staff on sports medicine, where they will test the athletes before competitions or receive treatment when they get injured.is a big concern as far as sports medicine is concern.

Dr. Bangura appealed that the NOC assist them to conduct seminars where they will pass on their knowledge to the various sporting disciplines, the athletes and all stakeholders so that they will be educated on the importance of sport medicine.

 “Going forward we would set up a department, make sure we have all the equipment available before the start of a competition also uses them to cure the athletes that are suffering from injuries during competition. We would also form collaboration between the sport medicine department and the other departments within and outside the medical field,” he said.

He called on the sporting fraternity to take the medical department as one of its priorities, noting that without a good health status of the athletes their performance will be very poor and for Sierra Leone to compete internationally and bring medals home, the athletes needs to be healthy.

“They have to prioritize the health area and try to empower us to do more courses and get more exposure into sports medicine because what we deed is just a seminar. We want to further and add more knowledge.  When Sierra Leone is going to compete in international competition they should make sure they take along the rightful people that are trained and qualified so that they will be able to look after the athletes properly,” he concludes.

The NOC/ CGA’s President Prince Sualley said he’s impressed with their level of understandings, despite the seminar only commenced for three days.

 “I think I am encouraged because it is needed for our athletes, Now you have to work with the Athlete Commission, the Medical Commission, and the Chef De Mission would have to call you to meetings whenever we have training for competition, you have to educate them. We have to discuss and see how we would enhance you to have a seminar here with technical heads for all the various sporting disciplines so that they will be in tune with you to control the athletes, monitor them especially those that will be going to compete in international competitions,” he affirmed.