By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Management of the Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy Team has on 1st February 2023 unveiled players and sponsorship packages at their Liverpool Street office ahead of the New Basketball season.
The Freetown Lakers are currently preparing ahead for the new season of Basketball season that will kick off soon.
Salieu Dumbuya the team manager of the Freetown Lakers Basketball team, who also double as the Manager of M&S Business Consultant said ” I was a one-time Basketball player who played at the highest ranked level, but because of a business commitment, I decided to take the back seat, since that time I have been following the sport because of the love I have for the game; I started helping some teams and during that process Freetown Lakers Basketball. Academy met me and presented a proposal requesting me to become their team manager, I wasted no time I grab the opportunity and started helping them as a club.”
He confirmed that they signed a five-year partnership deal with Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy with M&S Consultant and he has helped them to prepare the team by signing four Basketball players ahead of the new season and to continue improving the team’s technical metal ahead of the new campaign; noting that the team is ready to compete with any other team in the country.
Patrick Sudufu the scout for NBA said they consider this day historic for Basketball Foundation and Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy in Sierra Leone.
He further that, the Freetown Lakers Basketball Foundation started operation in Sierra Leone in 2002 with 25 School players from the Albert Academy, Old Edwardian, Prince of Wales School, Grammar School, and a few other Schools with a lot of talents; they met and discussed with them; that’s the journey of the Freetown Lakers Basketball team.
“The process was not easy and it took hard work, determination, and a ready-to-push-forward attitude,” today, the Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy is all over social and at the global stages of basketball”, he explained.
He thanked the new management of the Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy, noting that the motive he wants for the team is to see the past players succeed in the field of Basketball. He added that Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy is the first to partner with NBA and they have lots of organizations to partner with in the field of Basketball and that the aim is to see the Freetown Lakers Basketball team make money and to see the Young Stars move to Europe and ply their trade professionally.
On the expectations from the team when talking to the A-Z sports desk, Emmanuel Kamara a Loan player said his aim as a player is to help achieve their dream by winning the Championship and showcasing his talent and to play at the Professional level and being able to represent the Country.
Patrick Sesay said, as a player, this is not the first time I have been with Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy I have got a wealth of experience and international exposure and am highly determined to represent the team at all levels and I’m ready to work hard so that the team can achieve its dreams.
Freetown Lakers Basketball Academy team is one of the renowned teams within the East End of Freetown and they won the last Champions trophy.