The Executive of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA), has over the weekend distributed 25kg bags of rice and cash to 30 national athletes, as a way of supporting them in the crisis occasioned by the Coronavirus.
During the handing over of the donated items to the athlete at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Senior Secondary School, Kissy Dockyard, the President of the Association, Alhaji Abdul Karim Sesay said that the purpose of supporting the athletes is to ease their plights.
Mr. Frank Turay, representative the National Olympic Committee, commended SLAA for the gesture which he described as a giant stride in the quest to develop Athletes in Sierra Leone.
He thanked the President of SLAA for housing, paying tuition, feeding and taking care of the health of some athletes.
“For about two months now this is the second time the executive of SLAA is giving boost to it membership. At first it was the coaches and now the national athletes which it timely, at this difficult time,” he said.
He pledged NOC’s commitment to ensuring that they continue giving support to all sporting discipline in the country including SLAA.
In his statement President of SLAA Abdul Karim Sesay told press men that the beneficiary was chosen because they had performed well before COVID-19 struck, when they went to Niger where they won sixteen medals.
“This boost is for them to continue to be safe and keep all precautionary measures set by government and the health authority in the country by regular washing of hands and the use of face mask like what you have done today,” Sesay said.
He said that they could not reach everyone then, but encouraged them to continue their personal trainings so as to get themselves ready in terms of fitness.
“The executive will do more in bringing everybody that matters onboard in the development of Sierra Leone Athletes Association and the improvement of our athlete,” President Karim said.
Speaking on behalf of all the beneficiaries Kadiatu Kanu running for Camp Waterloo thanked SLAA for the supports at this difficult time. She admitted that as athletes they were going through a lot during the Coronavirus “because some of us the athlete can’t afford for ourselves.”
By Desmond Tunde Coker
22/07/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7871