By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nylenkeh has on 1st December 2022 presented the sum of 2.4 billion Leones to the Sierra Leone Premier League Board for 2022/2023 Premier League across the Country.
He said the long-awaited expectation from the Football stakeholders has finally arrived and that is the presentations of Government Support to the Premier League board, he started by tell thanks to his Excellence Julius Maada Bio for his unflinching support of Sports and Football to be specific, noting that what the president has done is a laudable venture towards Sports in the Country.
Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nyelenkeh affirmed that it is not the responsibility of the Government to fund the Country’s top flight in Country, but the sole responsibility of the Sierra Leone Football Association, noting that it is under the goodwill of the President he has to order the Ministry of Finance to give out the money for the Premier League to run in the Country.
Ibrahim Nylenkeh presented the pay-in-slip of Le 2,461,300 (new) as part payment deposited into the Sierra Leone Premier League Board account, out of the Le 3,212,000 (new) approved government support towards the 2022/23 league season.
Thomas Daddy Brima the President of the Sierra Leone Football Association started by thanking President Julius Maada Bio for the support of the Government to help the Premier League Board in the Country, noting that the Federation is ready to see Football played across the country.
He further that it is one year five since his inception and the Government of Sierra Leone has been very supportive of Football that is visible in the Country when Sierra Leone qualify for the Nations Cup the whole Country came together as one and football has the ability to that, and it has also created huge employment as more than one thousand youth who playing football has been employed through the Premier League in the Country. He noted under his short-term (24) players are currently building their houses and the Sierra Leone Football Association has organized the premier League back-to-back for the second time after five Sierra Leone teams have taken part in CAF inter- Club Competitions because of the Premier League that is running in that Country that why all those are possible.
He assured the Minister of Sports that the Federation will continue to be engaged in Cooperate houses for support to the Premier League in the Country.
He called on the leadership of the Sierra Leone Football Association to contact the cooperate houses to raise funds for the Country’s premier League. The Premier League is set to kick off on 9th December 2022 as the fixtures are set to be out next and already the (18) Premier League clubs have been engaging in PRE-SEASON matches to prepare their squad ahead of the new season.