By Sulaiman Jalloh
Minister of Sports, Mrs. Augusta James Tema, said sport is not just about winning but it is also about improving performance, noting Sierra Leone footballers have improved their performances in and out of the country, something she said is a laudable achievement.
The Sports Minister was speaking at the weekly government press conference organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation conference hall on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
According to her, the improvement in sports is attributed to the intervention of President Julius Maada Bio and his government. “The President is interested in sport. He revived the premiere league in the country,” she said, adding that government does not just want to limit sport to football but extend interventions to other sporting disciplines. She added that her ministry is working with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Lands to secure places to construct pitches across the country, especially for schools.
Although the country is challenged with infrastructure, Minister Tiema said they are working assiduously to construct sport pitches across the country, highlighting government’s broader strategy to improve sport infrastructure across the nation.
Mrs. Augusta James Tiema noted that four artificial turf have been installed in Freetown, Bo, and other parts of the country with more to be installed in some remote areas,
The Minister emphasized that nothing can be done without sports, saying when someone is engaged in sport, it makes the person healthy, while acknowledging the collaborative efforts between her ministry and the National Sport Authority (NSA) in improving sporting.
Speaking on the ongoing maintenance of the country’s stadium, she said the Government of Sierra Leone and the Republic of China have signed an agreement for installation of seats at the stadium to meet international standards. The stadium is expected to be completed and be fully operational within a year.
