By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, has heaped praise on Cricket Sierra Leone (CSL) for emerging as the countrys biggest laurel achiever, accounting for the highest number of trophies and medals in recent years.
Dr. Saffa Abdulai made the commendation during the NSA 2026 Sport Growth Conference held on February 13, 2026, at the View Conference Hall, City Hall in Freetown. The high-level conference brought together over forty sports officials drawn from various sporting disciplines and organizations registered with the Authority.
In his address, Dr. Abdulai thanked the management of Cricket Sierra Leone for what he described as remarkable and consistent achievements, noting that CSL’s success story stands as a model for other sporting bodies in the country. He further disclosed that the NSA is working closely with CSL to protect the Sussex cricket ground from encroachers, reaffirming the Authoritys commitment to safeguarding sporting facilities nationwide.
Cricket Sierra Leone has demonstrated what effective leadership, grassroots development and proper planning can achieve, he stated, urging other federations to adopt similar strategies to strengthen their respective sports.
Also speaking at the conference was Sahid Mohamed Conteh, Director of Physical and Health Education at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. He described crickets expansion across the country as rapid and impressive.
Cricket is growing like wildfire in the harmattan season, Conteh remarked, highlighting the impact of CSL’s Cricket for Schools Programme.
According to him, more than 500 Physical and Health Education (PHE) teachers have undergone various entry-level cricket training courses, equipping them with the skills to introduce and teach the sport directly to pupils in schools across the country.
He encouraged other sporting disciplines to emulate CSL’s grassroots-driven approach, emphasizing that schools remain the most effective platform for talent identification and long-term sports development.
The 2026 Sport Growth Conference served as a strategic platform for reviewing progress, strengthening collaboration among stakeholders, and charting a sustainable path for the advancement of sports in Sierra Leone.
