By Barrie Alpha
The Sierra Leone Boxing Association (SLBA) in partnership with Art Resourceful Tourism (ART) Sierra Leone on Friday, 1st March, 2024 presented Commotion in the Ocean National Championship and International Fight’s manual to the Minster of Sports, Madam Augusta James-Taema, ahead of the two-day boxing competitions slated for the Sport Zone Complex, Aberdeen on April 26th and 27th 2024.
In his brief statement at the Ministry of Sports, Bishop House, Brookfield, SLBA’s Secretary General Alhaji Komba said their visit was to continue with arrangement to host the national championship and international fight in Freetown, adding that the event would have taken place last year on the 25th December, 2023 in Bo, but unfortunately it could not happen.
‘We are able to resuscitate ourselves as an association in consultation with NSA and the Ministry of Sports to see how we will able get it back because it’s an annual event that we would not afford to miss out so with that as per the rearrangement and the rescheduled date we are here to do this presentation. It’s a kind of courtesy presentation for onward presentation to the Chief Minister who is also of concern for hosting these events,’ he said.
Presenting the Commotion in the Ocean National Championship and International Fight manual, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Art Resourceful Tourism Sierra Leone, Sheka B. A. Mansaray, noted that the government of President Bio has done a lot to develop sports in the country, adding that they too want to add to those values.
He furthered that they’ve met and discussed with the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, Moinina Sengeh, and he has welcomed the idea.
Mansaray further disclosed that they will be having two boxers from the UK, including Liam Symyth (Ginge- from Sherdend who is among top boxers in Europe, he will fight against Alusine Mansaray (Tommy Lee) and also Jon DP Shaw from UK who owns the UK Boxing gym will fight against Abu Bakarr Katta (Target) from Australia. ‘The international fight will bring bi-cultural exchange. We will have talk to the Mayor of Birmingham to partner with us. The partnership will bring professionals into boxing who will travel to Sierra Leone to help develop boxing and other sports in different ways. These professionals will gain a lot from them through trainings and with the acquirement of sports equipment. The two UK boxers will not just be in Sierra Leone to fight but they will be also helping to train the local coaches and boxers. They will be also travelling to Sierra Leone with boxing materials,’ the CEO Art Resourceful Tourism Sierra Leone continued.
‘Also boxers will be coming from Liberia and Guinea for the international fight. The national championship will start with the district eliminations in the regional headquarter towns, starting from the 11th April, in the South, on the 12th it will be in the East, on the 14 it will take place in the North, on the 17th April it take place in the North -West and on the 18th April it will be in the Western Area,’ he noted.
One male boxer from each of the regions will qualify for the round of 16 scheduled to be held in Freetown. 10 female boxers shall go into the semi-finals that will take place on the 25th and 26th leading to the national championship finals on April 27th 2024, and the National Championship will enable the local coaches to select boxers for international competitions.
The Sports Minister Augusta James Theima commended the Boxing Association for their relentless effort to develop boxing in Sierra Leone, advising them to do massive sensitisation to draw the attention to the general public to the competitions. She acknowledged the fact that they were not there to request for money, but the fact is that to organise such competition entails money so they need to sit together and find ways how to source money from the various business houses.
She added that it is barely two months now to the competition and they need to put all mechanisms in place to ensure they have a successful event as such competition will be the beginning of a brighter future for boxing in Sierra Leone.