Executive Director of National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq, and his dedicated team on Wednesday, 19th June 2024, visited the Chinese Embassy in Freetown as part of his tireless drive to see sports grow in Sierra Leone.
The move was to woo the Chinese Embassy into ascribing the need to help Sierra Leone sports grow. At the meeting, Dr Abdulai thanked the Chinese Government for always supporting sports development in Sierra Leone, a kind gesture that can be traced to 1979, which saw the completion of the National Stadium.
“The Chinese are major partners for sports infrastructural development in Sierra Leone. They have always supported us whenever the need arises, and the ongoing National Stadium Rehabilitation Project, which costs a huge amount of money, is their latest intervention. There have been challenges with the Project, but the work is coming to an end,” Dr Abdulai said.
Regarding its mandate, Dr Abdulai said the work of the NSA is to develop sports in Sierra Leone. “To deliver this, the Authority needs a lot of partnerships. China is one reliable partner which the NSA has decided to work with.
“Five years down the line after the NSA was established, we have devolved sports across the country. What we need now is capacity building for our coaches, administrators, and other technical staff. We also need logistical support, and that is why we have started this conversation,” he added.
Du Zijun the Commercial Consular at the Chinese Embassy, welcomed the NSA Chief and his team and expressed happiness for the visit. Du Zijun said the Chinese Embassy will facilitate both multi and bilateral training, capacity-building strides, and other activities for the benefit of the NSA and sports in Sierra Leone.
