Ferry FC youngster, Amadu Bah on Sunday, won the innaugural Airtel Rising Stars season (ARS) IV health run marathon, which commenced from the National Stadium entrance at Syke Street to Aberdeen Beach.
The innaugural event attracted over 200 male and female youngsters including Airtel staff and other ex-footballers who went through Syke Street, Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road, Lumley Round-About, Beach Road with the finish line at Aberdeen Beach, close to Family Kingdom complex.
Bah, who got-off a flying start maintained his lead to beat-off FC Kallon’s captain, Musa Kallon-who finished in second place.
FC Pizzo Shamsu Abu finished behind Kallon in third, as the trio all scooped a certificate and expensive Samsung Galaxy S4 from Airtel mobile company, while the first 50 finishers were all recognized with a well decorated Airtel Rising Stars certificate.
Before the race commenced, Deputy minister of Sports, Al Sankoh Conteh applauded the mobile company for such an innovative idea before the proper commencement of the ARS season IV tournament.
He said that the idea of tapping young talents through the ARS will continue to have an impact in Sierra Leone football as he pledged the ministry’s continuous committment towards the ARS tournament and youth football in the country.
He said: “The health run is a great idea which will help keep the players fit, more especially when they are all preparing for the tournament.
He said as a ministry, they will continue to embrace youth football activities in the country.”
The ARS ambassador, who is former Leone Stars captain, Mohamed Kallon encouraged the young boys to embrace the health run and advised them to continue engaging in training in a bid to always remain fit. He said: “As a player, if you must succeed you have to keep working hard.”
Airtel Managing Director, Chekoury said they were pleased to organize such activities, as this year, they are determined that the ARS be much bigger than previous years.
He said the staging of the ARS health run is to also give everybody the chance to feel and have a taste of the ARS tournament.
“Being part of this health run is not only about ARS tournament but giving everybody the opportunity to taste the passion behind the ARS. For us at Airtel, we want everyone to be part of the tournament and this is one way we can get people. I am happy to be part of this because at Airtel we want the best for all Sierra Leoneans,” the Airtel MD said.
By Bernard Turay
Wednesday June 25, 2014