By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone Lawn Tennis Association will be having their elective congress on the 26th. August 2023.
And like every other major sport, tennis has gone through transformation in Sierra Leone.
The sport has been played by the privileged few which is what this young lawyer who has played the game himself since he was a teenager wants to change.
As a pupil of the Bo Government Secondary School ( The great Bo School) he played competitive tennis. He proceeded to Fourah Bay College for his university degree and was chosen to represent his college at the inter-varsity competition then.
He is president of the district tennis association in Bo. Lawyer Alfred Amadu Gbonda hails from a tennis family as his uncle; retired Bishop SS Gbonda was an avid tennis player and was engaged in the administration of the sport.
Alfred A. Gbonda Esq.,is vying for the national Secretary General position come 26th August of this year.
And judging from his background he is grounded in the issues of tennis.
His plans include taking tennis to the schools to “capture young talents”. And as the world has seen world – class tennis players like Tiafoe who has his origin from Sierra Leone and others like Carlos who won the Wimbledon championship this year.
His style of leadership is that of “collaboration” as he is a team player.
He has promised to work with the would be elected national president to improve on the sport in Sierra Leone.
He also plans to “engage the sports ministry” to give the sport some priority so that it can grow like football. He intends to help make the sport have “a national outlook.
“And to help build tennis facilities in every region in the country.
Lawyer Alfred Amadu Gbonda hopes to revamp the secretariat of the Sierra Leone Lawn Tennis Association if elected to the position of national Secretary General. So the tennis family must think wisely and elect a young lawyer for the good of their association.