By Alpha Barrie

The Newly Elected Executive of National Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL) on Wednesday, February 5th, 2025, paid a courtesy call on National Olympic Committee/ Commonwealth Games Association of Sierra Leone (NOC/CGA-SLE) at the Walpole Street office in Freetown.

The SWASAL’s and NOC/CGA-SLE’s President Prince Vandy Sualley discussed several issues towards development of sports and the importance of partnership between both organizations..

Making his statement, Sahr Morris Junior, the President of SWASAL said the engagement with the NOC/CGA-SLE is a significant step toward the already exciting relationship between the two bodies, appealing for considering it membership in the areas of corporations to able cover international games.

“Over the years reaching out to SWASAL in areas of promoting the NOC/CGA as well as supporting the association in terms of accreditation for the past commonwealth Games, we had the highest number of sport journalist been accredited to cover the Olympic Games, thanks to the NOC and we look forward to work with that trend as well,” he said.

President Morris Junior also called on the NOC to help the membership in the area of capacity building as they need help wherein their membership will gain training on the areas of sports reporting skills on the coverage of international games.

He highlighted some of the development areas they are working as two courses set to kick-off for membership one from Human Kinetic Sports Development at Fourah Bay College and LICSAL Business College.

In his part, the Prince Sualley, the NOC/CGA-SLE’s Chief welcomed the newly elected SWASAL executive, congratulating them after going through successful elections.

He assured the Sports Journalists body of their unflinching support and open door policy, stressing that they will continue working to ensure the relationship goes beyond the way it’s believed the role Sports Journalism plays towards complementing sports development.

Prince Sualley called on Sports Journalists to be bias-free and neutral in their reportage and called on them to always reach out to the Committee as there are more stories to report on around sports and that his office has an open door policy and that there are lot of information and development taking place within the NOC.

“We have been awarded the second OlympAfrica Center for the NOC, it is going to be located in Lunsar. The King Baton is coming in June this year. There are political dynamics that are swelling around the IOC because come June there is going to be elections; the President Thomas Bach has done his mandate of 12 years. We have seven candidates that are vying for that position. The NOC Boss stated, adding they are going to have the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)’s elective congress in March this year.

He concluded by disclosing that over two years ago, they’ve been awarded a project to build their own NOC headquarters and that all they need is the piece of land.

Unisia Deen Kargbo, the Treasurer of the National Olympic Committee said Sports Journalists must ensure they try to be professional in doing their job because that counts and they must ensure they did their best towards their Job.

 The Executive Committee of the National Sports Writers Association present during the meeting are the President, Sahr Morris Junior, Vice president-Sheku Saccoh Turay, Secretary General-Francess Bernard Bundor, Assistant Secretary, Desmond Tunde Coker, Organizing Secretary-Mohamed Abu Conteh and also NOC’s Chef de Mission, Yayah Koroma, Bai Bangura, the Project Manager.