By Desmond Tunde Coker
The Sierra Leone Football Association has joined forces with FIFA and the United Nations to support the World Health Organization’s (WHO) BeActive campaign.
In a statement put out by the Sierra Leone Football Association on April 6, 2020, during the UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, SLFA activated the FIFA Fan Movement and reminds everyone around the world to BeActive today and every day.
In the release, SLFA threw light on WHO’s recommendation that all healthy adults do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day and children at least 60 minutes per day.
The SLFA release shed light on other guidelines which the World Health Organization has given for person who are staying at home in the midst of Global Corona Pandemic. The following suggestions along with any other form of recreation to stay healthy at home were identified by the WHO:
Taking some online exercise classes, Dancing, playing active video games, Jumping rope, and Practicing muscle strength and balance training.
While responding to the joint statement the General Secretary of the Sierra Leone Football Association Mr. Christopher Kamara said, “We are very delighted as a federation to form part of WHO’s BeActive campaign.” He added that “Everyone in Sierra Leone and the world at large have to understand that in this crucial time of global pandemic (COVID-19), our health comes first.”
In another development, as a way of giving hope to the Sierra Leone football family the SLFA solidarity has boosted clubs and players with Le 656 Million.
The President of the Sierra Leone Football Association, Madam Isha Johansen recently confirmed to premier news that Six Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Leones (Le 656,000,000) has been donated to Premier, First and Second Division Clubs in the country as a solidarity contribution by SLFA.
Speaking to the Head of Media and Marketing at the Sierra Leone Football Association, Ibrahim Kamara, explained to Premier News that Four Hundred and Six Million Leones (Le 406,000,000) would go to the 14 Premier Clubs and two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le 250,000,000) contribution would go to the five regional Football Associations to be spread out and allocated to the respective lower divisional clubs (Division One and Two)
Kamara emphasized. “These are abnormal and truly worrying times and the only instinctive reaction these days is how to protect and be protected. As the parent football body in Sierra Leone, we have a duty to support and protect each other.”
He added that in addition to the financial boost, hundreds of face masks would be distributed today to SLFA staff and clubs.