By Dadson A. Musa

Tennis, a major sport played around the world which has seen a Sierra Leonean-born American playing the game at the top-class level in the world. Like other major sports, the Sierra Leone Tennis Association has gone through serious infighting to the point that the game was brought to its knees and for the past years the game had not being playing in the country. Matters got worst when the former president, Kelvin Kelly attempted to “hold the association to ransom” by attempting to tamper with the constitution to go for a third term. This was not taken kindly to by tennis enthusiasts like lawyer Alfred Gbonda, Andy Bam, Rodney Michael and others who stood their ground to not allow one man to make tennis association his personal property and bring it to disrepute. In the court case that followed, Kelvin, the out gone president lost in the high of Sierra Leone presided over by Justice Momoja-Stevens. He appealed in the supreme court and lost again. Fast forward, a tennis revival ceremony was held last year in November at the YSC in Freetown which was supported by people like Ing. Andrew Karmoh Keili (a former tennis star) and others. And so many people were happy to see the revival of tennis in Sierra Leone.

This year, the national tennis competition which brings tennis clubs from across the country has been launched and has been scheduled for 14th. to 26th. April 2025. The sponsors include Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Sierra Rutile Limited, Cafe Mias, CEMMATS Group Limited, Marampa Mines among others Twelve clubs have registered and up to one hundred players are taking part. The venues for the competition are Hill station tennis court, LOR Tennis court, Wilberforce tennis court and Gulf Course tennis court and up for grabs are cash, medals and trophy prizes. The officiating is going to be strictly international standards. President Andy Bam seems to be a very gratified man to see tennis back in Sierra Leone. Having been officially endorsed by the International Tennis Federation he has set himself a very ambitious plan to make sure tennis regains its lost glory. ‘ I left England to come to my country, Sierra Leone to stop the decay in in the game of my youth. The nationals is just one of my projects, kids under the age of 15 years are being trained currently in the game of tennis and this goes alongside their academic sponsorship.” President Andy Bam has spent his personal finances to ensure sanity returns to tennis in Sierra Leone. ” If we get serious with what we are doing and corporate bodies see the progress they will definitely come on board and support us. When i took over there was nothing in the coffers so i am building from scratch.” He recognizes the challenges ahead but does not seem to be daunted by them. A successful end to the national competition will mark a good start for the Andy Bam executive.