By Barrie Alpha
The President of Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL), Sahr Morris Junior has urged members of the association to promote the country’s athletes and sporting disciplines noting that they have to tell Sierra Leoneans in the Sierra Leonean way.
The SWASAL Prezo made this statement on Thursday, 5 May 2022 during the official launch of the association’s website, logo and Code of Ethics, and the rebranding of SWASAL’s Sports World Newspaper at the Harry Yansaneh Memorial Hall at SLAJ’s headquarters, 56 Campbell Street in Freetown, during a programme chaired by Alhaji Komba, the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Boxing Association.
In his keynote address, the SWASAL President said it’s a historic moment for the sports writers association as well as sports journalists in Sierra Leone, adding that the event is part of the rebranding of the association, which he and his executive promised last June.
‘Today’s event also sent a different message about sports journalism and will also give the confidence to sports administrators, the private sector as well as sports journalists. We need to embrace this opportunity. To the sports administrator, the launching of the SWASAL website, you have to make use of it; and also to colleagues sports journalists, nobody can tell our story for us. We have to tell the story, the Sierra Leonean story, in the Sierra Leonean way,’ he stated.
‘We have to promote our athletes. We have to promote our sporting disciplines. With this website it’s an opportunity for us to go in for the new stories, promote the sporting disciplines, and promote the athletes. Also to the sports administrators, this is your time to embrace the Sports Writers Association and sports journalism because if you fail to embrace SWASAL the world will not know about you. Even if you go and secure Gold, Silver or Bronze medals, if the journalist fails to report on your activities the world will not know about you. For the private sector, the business houses, there is power in sports and there is power in sports journalism. I know the presence of Mercury International is felt, the Rokel Commercial Bank and the United Bank for Africa (UBA). Aligning with SWASAL has been good for you and it’s an urge for you to do more for SWASAL. You will never regret you did,’ he added.
He also assured the sporting family of SWASAL’s support and commitment to promote all sporting disciplines in the country. While commending the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Sierra Leone Football Association for their support to SWASAL and also urging them to do more, the SWASAL Prezo disclosed that most of the senior staff at the SLFA including the Secretary General Chris Kamara, Director of Competition Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, Head of Media and Communications Ibrahim Kamara and Head of Corporate Affairs Mohamed Benson Barwoh and Abu Bakra Kamara are all members of SWASAL.
The official launching of the association’s website was done by seasoned football administrator and Chairman of Mighty Blackpool Football Club Rodney Edmond Michael, who donated five million leones (Le5m) to SWASAL.
The colourful event attracted the presence and statements from the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Independent Media Commission (IMC), National Sports Authority (NSA), the National Olympic Committee (NOC), the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), Mercury International, Rokel Commercial Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA), sporting disciplines and senior sports administrators.
Mercury International donated the sum of twenty million leones (Le 20m) for the rebranding of the Sports World Newspaper. Chris Kamara on behalf of the SLFA also donated ten million leones (Le10m) for the website, the National Olympic Committee donated two million leones (Le2m) and NSA’s Eric Fomba presented a cash amount of one million leones (Le1m).