Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA) has on 8th April 2022 elected new Executive members at the Olympic Africa Hall in Goderich at the Milton Margai Campus in the West part of Freetown that will steer the affairs of the Association in the next four years.
The long-awaited Elective Congress came to pass when the membership agreed to head to the polls to elect the members they want to rule for the next four years and transform the Association.
The Elections were conducted by the seven-man who are given the task to conduct the elections peacefully the outdated Constitution of the Association was also reviewed and amended in some outdated areas.
According to the 7- man committee the elections are inclusivity, transparency, and peaceful elective congress and constitutional amendment which delivered one of the history for track and field events.
Mr. Martin Momoh Bangura is duly elected as the new President of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association he pulls (39) votes against the incumbent (Alhaji Abdul Karim Sesay with 27 votes cast.
According to the new President Martin Momoh Bangura while addressing the delegates
“We come a long way to where we are now, first of all, I want to thank the Executive of the Ministry of Sports, special thanks to the national Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone for their tireless effort in ensuring the Elections holds and they have saved the feature of the athletes in Sierra Leone.”
“To the delegates, you people surprised me, and am sure you have made your choice and we are going to do this together, my Administration is going to make sure that everybody feels belong.
He added that my mission is to unite the Athletics family and we should work as a team I will extend an Olive Branch to all members; please it works it time no time-wasting.
The position of 1st Vice President was won by Mr. Umaru Vandi Kondovor who polled 37 votes against the incumbent Mr. Emric Cole with 28 votes cast.
After the Elections, while talking to the press he said I feel appreciated by the delegates who vote me in, this is a brotherly contest and I feel nobody lost, am ready to work with the past regime, we will need advice from them, possible we are going to bring new ideology, innovations to develop the sport in the Country.
The 2nd Vice President position went to Mr. Frank Turay who went unopposed against Mr. Ishmael Nallo who was absent from the congress.
The Treasury position went to Madam Augusta James Teima she polled 37 votes against the incumbent Mr. Aiah Block Arie who polled 27 votes.
According to her, she feels so full-field being the only woman among the male contested elections representing the women.
“I feel happy because, I have been around Athletics for a while now, being a technical person, as a coach, being an executive member for the female rep, I think there is more room for improvement within the Association, now that she has been the financial Treasurer one key thing she is going to work with will be transparency and to generate funds for the Association.”
The new Executive members are expected to start work as soon as possible, key area is that they will have to start the Preparations for the Commonwealth Games in England and the Islamic games.
