March 24, 2021
By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA) has over the weekend concluded National Championship for athletes across the Country. This event was held in Bo the Southern District of Sierra Leone.
The aim of the Championship is to prepare athletes for upcoming International competitions that the Association is set to embark on this year. Three among them are the Kaduna Competition that is set to take place in Nigeria next month April 2021 for junior athletes.
The second competition will take place in Algeria in June 2021 and in July the Association will be preparing athletes for the Olympic Games in Japan 2021.
According to the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association Abu Bakarr Spaky a total of 95 athletes were assembled at the BO Mini Stadium to compete with each other.
He said Athletes were selected from all the region’s in the Country; whereas as 30 athlete’s came from the Western Area, 25 from the Northern Region, 20 from the Southern Region and 20 from the East End Region a total of 95 athlete’s for the National Championship.
One key challenge the Association faced during the National Championship has to do with Finance as they find it difficult to get accommodation, feeding and Transportation fair for the athlete’s and Technical team for the two days National Championship.
Speaking to A-Z News the Technical Director of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association, Harold Palmer said there has been massive improvement from the athlete’s and many records have been set during the National Championship and assured sport loving fans that more ground breaking records will be set.
According to the Fitness Coach for the National Championship, Abu Bakarr Kumalo, the event has been a great success and the performance of the athletes was surprising, even though the Covid-19 has adverse effects on the athlete’s a lot has improved. Mr. Kumalo further that he is hopeful going for the Kaduna games Sierra Leone will get a better representation and the athlete’s will bring medals home.
Some of the athlete’s while responding to A-Z Sports expressed their joy in participating in such an organized event. Alie Kamara from the Western Area who is the current fastest winner for the 100 M and 200M respectively said he felt happy to have to have won both categories because he has been engaging in intensive training for six months and will continued to do more ahead of the Kaduna games.
Alford Conteh from the Northern Region who also won the 400M fastest said he feels happy to have partaken in the National Championship.
A summary of how the Medals were won by the respective regions:
Western Area 1- took the first position as they won seven (7) gold medals
The second position went to the Western Area 2 they won 2 gold medals
The 3rd position went Northern Region as they won 1 gold medal
The 4th position went to Southern Region but did not collect any gold medal
The 5th position went to East Region and the 6 position went to North- west.
However, the National Championship attracted lots of attention from fans all over the Country.