The Minister of Sport Madam Augusta James-Teima has told football enthusiasts that Football is taking the lead in enhancing Government’s Five Game Changers, including Feeding Sierra Leone, Human apital Development, and Youth Employment. She made this statement during the launch of the FIFA Football for Schools (F4S) program in Makeni.
The program aims at making the sport more accessible to boys and girls across Sierra Leone by including football activities into the country’s school system.
“We as a government are looking forward to having more facilities, especially job opportunities for young people. Today, the specialist behind there will not only be teaching in the schools but probably come out in the afternoon to give extra trainings to our little kids because there is so much we have to do when we catch them young,” she said.
“This project will have a positive effect on Sierra Leone as well as the players. These kids will grow up to be physically, mentally, emotionally, economically, and socially developed. Therefore, it is very important that Football is emphasized at school level where players are caught at a very young age and allowed to become lifelong players and understand everything about football, eventually sustaining the sport itself,” she emphasized.
“Government is very much committed to the growth of Sports in line with other Ministries, and we are working assiduously in putting modalities in place to enhance the participation of football in this country because this sport has been a fundamental instrument in solving social problems facing society.”
“Sport is life, it is expensive but if we put ourselves together, it will make Sierra Leone a developed nation. It is because the SLFA is sober, that is why we are getting all of these projects.”
Madam James-Teima ended by promising to continue working with the Minister of Basic Education to train the kids for the future, saying they will make sure that what is given for sport in schools is being used for sport exclusively.