By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
President of the Sierra Leone Gymnastics Federation Anna Williams has acknowledged that Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation is key to their success. Adding that gymnastics is one of the Country’s fastest growing sports and remains one of the strongest sports on the international stage, as a result of that the President’s Sierra Leone Gymnastics Federation (SLGF)
“The Sierra Leone Gymnastics Federation is focused on identifying and nurturing the next generation of world-class gymnasts, with huge consignment of equipment for the different disciplines in gymnastics continues to arrive,” she affirmed.
The commitment was emphasised by SLGF President, Anna Williams, noting that the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation is key to the country’s gymnastics success, despite the unflinching supports from the government through the NSA, Sports Ministry, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone.
“The road to our success started at Azerbaijan where our gymnasts were in training camp organised by the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF). After the training, AGF together with the National Olympic Community of Sierra Leone ensured that we were registered to participate in the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, held in Turkey 2022, where we made history securing the first ever medal (bronze) for Sierra Leone in a Games. The following year the same team went further to scooped another bronze medal at the African Gymnastics Championship in Egypt.
The SLGF President maintained. “Last year, the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation extended an invitation to us to participate in the 2nd Baku Gym For All Challenge where we made another history by securing 20 gold medals. We also attended training and also a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which includes a five-day partnership was signed between AGF and SLGF,” she noted.
Madam Williams highlighted the Federation’s plans to prepare the next generation gymnasts who will be representing Sierra Leone and bring laurel home.
“We must reflect on our extraordinary journey, a testament to excellence and resilience. The Gymnastics Federation has grown from modest beginnings into a formidable force in the realm of sports, achieving both national and international acclaim,” Anna Williams stated.
“As we celebrate our successes, we must recognise that replacing these extraordinary talents requires time and substantial investment,” she said. “We must focus on grassroots development and embed long-term strategies into our communities. We’ve ensured that the equipment are available, the technical team well capacitated to take gymnastics to another level.”
