The Sierra Leone Gymnastics Federation, on Friday 21st June, 2024, presented 20 gold medals won at the Baku Azerbaijan Gymnastics Showpiece to the Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq. at his Signal Hill Road Offices in Freetown.

The Federation, led by its President Ann Williams, brought along the young winners and their parents in a glaring show of thanking both the NSA and its able Chief.

“Some of the Gymnasts were picked up from the streets. Some are raised by single parents. I feel proud as a woman to have identified their talents, a move that has brought global honour and recognition to Sierra Leone through sports. I am now serving as mother to them all,” Anna told Dr Abdulai.

Receiving the gymnasts and the medals on behalf of the Government and the people of Sierra Leone, Dr. Abdulai congratulated the team and thanked them for the outstanding performance and for inscribing the name of Sierra Leone on the global map.

“As I formally congratulate you on your achievement, I wish to encourage you all to take your education seriously. Sports and education should go side by side,” he said, re-echoing the need to devolve sports to the different communities across the country to provide more opportunities to other young Sierra Leoneans who have may something to show.

On the merit of performance, Dr. Abdulai said Government is fully committed to supporting well organized sporting associations. “The Government is committed to creating temporary and permanent employments for young people using sports,” he surmised.

Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, June 24th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)