Executive Members of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) on 25th June 2022 held a successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the OlympAfrica Center, Goderich.
Dr Patrick Coker, President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) said the Meeting is to inform President of the Associations about the latest developments in the National Olympic Committee’s activities. He noted that the purpose of the AGM is to update the President of Associations about Commonwealth games that will be held in July and August respectively; just after that there will be another game at Koya in Turkey and there have been lots of Jobs by the Chef De Mission to get everything intact ahead of those games.
He affirmed that we have been faced with some challenges because of athletes’ registration for visas, but revealed that if athletes applied for games and are approved he will have to use that accreditation as a Visa.
“In terms of preparations for the Commonwealth Games we are on the course because over the years when athletes are given accreditation their Visa is already in the country they heading for, but that has changed, and the further that the Commonwealth Games athletes have to apply for Visa and are confident now about ninety per cent of the athletes that will be travelling for the games have done their Biometric am sure we are on course for the games”, President Coker said.
Dr Coker said the only thing they are trying to do now is to sort out two athletes that had their documents for a late submission.
He confirmed that there are (26) athletes including officials that will have to depart for the Commonwealth Games.
Whereas, Prince Suallay, the Treasurer of the National Olympic Committee gave a thorough analysis of how the finances have been used for the past year.
He said the association annually receives about one hundred seventy thousand dollars from the International Olympic Committee as a subsidiary in the running of the National Olympic Committee in Sierra Leone. He noted that they are going to make sure that the financial report is made available in a form of electronic copies.
Unisia Deen Kargbo the Chef De Mission of the national Olympic Committee gave updates on the entries of athletes. He said there are (26) athletes and Officials from (6) Association that will have to depart for the Commonwealth Games, adding that they are still waiting for money from the government and that on the 18th of June 2022 the first set of athletes will depart Sierra Leone for training.
He noted that for the past few weeks they were having problems with the Boxing Association about their entries but appreciated the efforts of the CGA in rectifying the issue, and they now have the chance to represent Sierra Leone in the Commonwealth Games.
Most of the Presidents and Secretaries-General of various sporting Associations under the NOC graced the AGM.
The National Olympic Committee will have to meet with the Association’s Presidents again before the elective Congress in November.
