By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The President of the Sierra Leone Basketball Association, Alie Hijazi, has praised the strong turnout and growing enthusiasm surrounding an ongoing basketball gala currently being held at SLIMSS Basketball Court in Wellington.
The tournament, staged near Old Wharf in Freetown, began several weeks ago and is scheduled to conclude this Sunday. According to Hijazi, the competition was deliberately organized in the eastern part of the city while the country’s main stadium remains under renovation, allowing basketball activities to reach communities that are often left out of major sporting events.
He explained that the initiative is designed to decentralize the sport and tap into emerging talent in the eastern districts. “We don’t want all basketball activities to take place only in the western area; we want to bring the game to the eastern part,” he said, noting that many promising players come from the community.
The knockout-format gala featured 12 teams and was structured as a short two-week contest due to time constraints ahead of the anticipated start of the national league season. Eight matches have already been played, with the final fixtures scheduled for midweek and the championship game.
President Hijazi disclosed that the tournament currently features only male teams because of logistical and safety concerns, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan when matches run from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. He emphasized that transporting young female players across long distances late at night would be challenging. However, he confirmed that 12 women’s teams are already registering and will compete once the main stadium reopens.
Attendance has been encouraging, with more than 200 spectators per match and dozens of vehicles arriving at the venue nightly. President Hijazi believes the strong support demonstrates that basketball is gaining momentum across Sierra Leone and credited collaboration between the federation, government sports authorities, and local communities for the progress.
He added that although the gala currently lacks sponsorship, efforts are underway to secure rewards for the winning team in recognition of their transportation costs and commitment.
The event is being hailed as a significant step in expanding basketball’s fan base and visibility in underserved communities. Officials say the success of the gala signals a bright future for the sport nationwide.