The Chairman of ‘Sports for All Commission’, Umaru Kakay, has called on members of all sporting associations to give their necessary backing to the growth of the Commission.
He pronounced this statement during an exclusive interview with him recently in Freetown.
Kakay asserted that the ‘Sports for All Commission’ was an initiative of the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOC-SL) to encourage the young ones from primary to secondary school level to embrace sports right at from tender age and to create an inclusive atmosphere that will bring everyone on board including aging people.
He said the commission was an inventiveness that needed a lot of publicity and support from each and every sport loving Sierra Leonean who wants to see the development of sport.
“I am very glad that both the president of NOC-SL Dr Patrick Coker and the Minister of Sport Ahmed Khanou are sports enthusiasts. I want both of them including the entire sport family to utilise the little opportunities we have to promote the commission”.
Kakay added that the major idea of setting up the commission is to encourage young athletes.
“Our focus is to develop young athletes at a very tender age and also teach them to be disciplined because that is when we can catch them with total interest as well as groom them to be better athletes in future”.
He noted that once their hearts can be keyed into any sport they will grow up with total interest and commitment. He added that sports become part of their everyday life and they get acquainted to it when they start earlier.
One of the major activities the commission embarked on shortly after its establishment was the National Sport Exercise Day.
He said the reason for organizing the sport exercise day was to create good access for the improvement in health and experience that physical activity can bring, especially to inactive people who lack resources as well.
Kakay mentioned that the role of the commission is to encourage openness and human understanding through offers of inexpensive sport activities in social – cultural companionship without demand for qualifications; attach importance to pleasure in games with special reference to sportily unprivileged sections of the population; promote sports activities that ensure mental and physical health – both preventive and recreational – and counteract injuries and illness.
He affirmed that the commission is also there to serve as the mother of all sporting associations but not in charge of their daily activities. “I am the chairman of the commission but that does not give me the mandate to interfere in their daily activities or how they run the affairs of their associations”.
“My role is to bring everyone on board, map out strategic plans on how we should develop sports and also settle disputes amongst them when the need arises. Especially when it comes to issues about elections, “Kakay confirmed.
By Bernard Turay
Monday July 04, 2016
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