By Barrie Alpha
The Executive Director of the National Sports Authority, Dr Kenneth Brima, and team on Saturday 15th May, 2021 witnessed the 16th Annual Athletics Championship of the Njala University, Mokondo Campus.
Addressing University authorities and students, Dr Brima expressed gratitude to the Department of Human Kinetics, in particular, and the University as a whole, for selecting him as Grand Chief Patron of the occasion.
“As an agency responsible for sports, we have conducted research and have realized that learning institutions, including universities, have not been organising sports even when students pay for these activities every academic year. As a remedy to that, the NSA is currently working on a policy that will address the many challenges linked with university sports,” Dr Brima said.
The NSA boss called on Njala University-where sports is embedded in their academic curriculum to present sports proposals to the NSA for the attention of the government for funding and implementation.
He continued: “As a nation, we can only progress in sports if the learning institutions, including universities, give priority to sports as it used to happen.”
He concluded by explaining the statutory mandate of the NSA in sports development in Sierra Leone, including the promotion, encouragement, development, regulation and supervision of sports and sporting related activities in the country.
Presentation of attractive prizes, for major events including 4x100m and 100m for both men and women, best athletes men and women and donation of bibs, footballs and football jerseys by the NSA boss, formed part of the program.
Receiving the items, on behalf of the University, the DVC of Njala University Njala Campus, Prof Bashiru Koroma, expressed his delight and appreciation to the NSA Executive Director for what he described as a wonderful gesture.
Prof. Koroma described Dr Brima as a progressive leader, citing the accelerated growth of the NSA within the shortest time under his leadership. The DVC of Njala Campus ended up by calling on the NSA to help improve the sport facilities at the University.
Present at the meet were Dr Sam Laggao, HOD Human Kinetics Department, Mrs. Zainab Milton, Sports Coordinator and a Board Member of the NSA, among others.
At the end of the two days Championship meet, Maturi (Red) were crowned Champions with 319 points, Lamina Sankoh (Green) emerged as runners-up with 298 points, while Mammy Yoko (Yellow) finished third with 287 points and Margai (Blue) came fourth with 256 points.