The Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Boxing Association (SLBA), Alhaji Komba, has stressed the importance of capacity building in strengthening boxing development and improving the country’s competitiveness in the sport.
Komba made the statement on September 10 at the OlympAfrica Centre in Goderich, Freetown, during the official launch of a Level I Technical Coaching Course for local boxing coaches.
The programme, supported by Olympic Solidarity, the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOC-SLE) and World Boxing, is designed to enhance coaches’ technical knowledge, modern coaching methods and skills in athlete development.
The course is being held alongside a World Youth Camp involving participants from The Gambia, Seychelles, Togo, Somalia and Namibia as part of preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
In his opening remarks, Komba said the technical training would benefit not only coaches but also athletes and the broader development of boxing in Sierra Leone.
“For us as a National Sports Federation, it is important to embark on capacity building, especially in technical training,” he said.
He explained that the programme would help athletes develop stronger foundational skills, tactical understanding and improved performance efficiency.
Komba further stated that enhanced technical knowledge would enable boxers to better understand the rules, mechanics and strategies of the sport, allowing them to maximize their physical abilities during training, sparring and competitions.
He added that the training would expose coaches to modern technical rules, skills and international best practices, thereby contributing to improved boxing standards and strengthening Sierra Leone’s competitiveness at both national and international levels.
The SLBA Secretary General urged participants to remain focused and patient throughout the course, describing the training as an important investment in the future of boxing in Sierra Leone.
The course is being facilitated by Williams Brereton of Ireland, an experienced boxing coach and sports administrator who serves as Chair of the Coaches Commission of the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC).
Brereton, a fourth-generation member of a boxing family, has extensive experience working with amateur boxing squads at the international level.