National School League to kick start after four years absence

The National School League of Sierra Leone will recommence across the country, after four years of no sporting activities for school going pupils. The new government decided to allow the school going pupils to again engage in their annual School League competitions to identify young sporting talent for the country.

The assistant director of physical health education at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Sahid Mohamed Conteh said that he has gone far with preparations for the competition to kick start this month. He said he has written letters to the various bodies concerned, so that they can have a successful school league competition after the long absence.  

Mr. Conteh said he has written letters to the Inspector General of Police informing him about the kick start of the school leagues, so that the necessary security can be provided at the venues where the competitions will take place.

He said he has also met with all physical health education teachers and informed them about the rules and regulations of the School League competition.

“I have made it clear to all teachers that pupils who have repeated in any schools must not take part in the school league. We want pupils who are legally attending the schools to take part in the competition and not active sports men and women who are not attending the school.” 

In 2014 the past government put a ban on all school league competitions throughout the country, because of violence among pupils after the sports activities.

The assistant director of physical health education, Mr. Conteh, said before the competition kick starts again they will organize a national six-day workshop in Bo city to train teachers on anti-violence and how to maintain and educate their pupils about the dangers of violence.
“We are not going to give money to the winners but we are going to award them trophies,” Mr. Conteh explains, “as these competitions are not for professional sports men, but to search for young sporting talent for the country.”

He continued that he is not expecting any violence in the school leagues because since he took over there have not been any reported violence under his authority. He said since 2014 there has been no school sports, which has negatively impacted the country’s sports sector, so they are well committed to reviving the nation’s school leagues.

Sahid Conteh furthered that the school sporting program is a must for all schools to participate.

He advised schools’ physical education teachers not to take sporting athletes from outside their schools, as regulations state that if a school is caught doing this, the school would face a ban.
“The School League sporting program is going to start on the 30th October this month,” says Mr. Conteh.

In the government’s New Direction manifesto, released earlier this year, the SLPP promises to increase funding for sporting activities, in particular football, athletics, cricket, volleyball and basketball. They also promise to do the following:

•Review the policy and legal environment for sports development;
•Establish a Sports Development Fund that will be financed from various sources, including corporate establishment and international sporting organization and Government;
•Develop and implement a comprehensive capacity building programme for all sporting disciplines;
•Reactivate school and community sporting activities with a view to identifying and developing talents for national and international competitions;
•Recommence national competition for all sporting activities.
•Establish sports academies and provide facilities for sports development and recreation around the country;
•Develop the administrative, technical and support services for sports; and
•Build standard stadium facilities in all regions and Western Rural to enhance the capacity of Sierra Leone.

By Muctar Koroma