By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone Sports Writer Association has on 7th December 2022 held two training for Sports Communicators across the Country. The training took place at the Harry Yanasanie Hall on Campbell Street in Freetown and the two days was handled by BBC sports reporter Durosimi Thomas who has a vast knowledge of Sports reporting.
Sahr Morris Junior the President of the Sports Writer Association said the reason for this training is to help Sports Journalists that are doing commentaries to know the dynamic that is involved in the Profession, noting over the years there has not been any improvement in the field of Commentaries and that is a concerned to the association to bring in experts who can help the Sports Journalists that have chosen that pathway and become Professionals.
He affirmed that the training is not only about Football Commentaries, but also Volleyball, which is one of the leading sports that has brought laurels to this country, and training in that aspect there will be professional commentators. Nothing that the Journalists present should take the Course seriously and improve their work as Sports Journalists.
He further that this is not the first training since he and the Executive Came into power, there has been three training they have held for capacity building which is one of his key Campaign messages.
Foray Marrah the Referees Manager at the Sierra Leone Football Association is one of the trainers taught about the new Laws of Football and how IFAB has added those Laws into the Laws of the game, noting they have already started holding refresher courses for the Referees that going to Officiating in the Sierra Leone Premier League.
He further that, there Foray Marrah there are five changes and one Clarification in the Laws of the game they are
Laws three, which has to do with Substitution, Laws eight, ten, and 12, IFAB is the body responsible for the amended laws of the games
He further that Law three came about during the Ebola virus Pandemic and it affected the Football World and the IFAB, noting that the Substitution needs to do in three slots, doing it the following way (3,1,1, 2,1,2, 2,2,1,1,1,3, and 1,2,2, stressing out that during the Africa Cup of Nations Sierra Leone Senior Technical team wasted their opportunity in the tournament because they don’t know that the new Laws are in operation where teams have the opportunity to make five substitutions.
Sorie Ibrahim Sesay the Director of Competitions at the Sierra Leone Football Association said Sports Journalists need to know the act of Commentating and the new dynamics that involve and called for Journalists to follow the due process profession.
Ahmed Khanoun the President of the Sierra Leone Volleyball Federation taught how Journalists should report Volleyball professionals.
A total of ten Sports Journalists took part in two days of the training course and President Sahr Morris Junior said they are going to hold more training for other sectors in the Association the Journalists are from Southern Region, Northern Region, Eastern Region, and Western Area benefited from the training.
Sahr Morris Junior- the —President of SWASAL addressing Journalists before the Training