New Sport Minister.
The newly appointed Minister of Sport, Madam Agusta James Teima, has labelled cricket as one of the sporting disciplines that have lifted the flag of Sierra Leone in the continental big stage, helping the country to talk about better GDP in its loosed sense.
She made this pronouncement during a courtesy call paid on her person by Cricket Sierra Leone on Friday at her Bishop House office, National Stadium.
Speaking, she welcomed the cricket family and declared that she came in as a sport specialist who means business.
“I have heard quite a lot about cricket and the feats they have earned over the years. Your performance outside the country is making people feel that something is happening in this part of the world. I have you in my heart. You are showing us that the country is being used to accelerate betterment,” she said.
On promoting inclusivity, Sport Minister Teima pointed out that the youths have taken to kush because they are not properly preoccupied. “Sport is one of the ways to get them engaged,” she added.
On healthy cohesion, Madam Teima said she had learnt that there is a good relationship between Cricket and the Ministry of Sport, by extension the National Sport Authority. “This is good, for we want to make sport more transport. It is not a one-side thing,” she surmised.
In response, the Board Chairman of Cricket Sierra Leone, Francis Trevor Samura, started off by congratulating Madam Teima for being the first female Minister of Sport. “Before your appointment, one of our Directors, Madam Elizabeth French, nominated you to serve as a member of our Ethics Committee,” he told the new Minister.
Taking her through history, Chairman Samura said the Cricket Association has since turned eighty amid its efforts to contribute immensely to the image rebranding of Sierra Leone on the world map. “From 1998 to date, we have won 28 trophies for the people and nation state of Sierra Leone. This includes nine gold medals, 11 silver, and six bronze, but we have not been given much.
“President Bio is among the few Presidents in Africa that have allocated land to cricket for the construction of state-of-the-art cricket edifice . We thank the President for the 29.2 hectares of land at Banga Farm, Sussex. We are now working very hard to mobilize resources to start work there because we have been tasked by the International Cricket Council to host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2026,” he revealed.
He went on to update the Minister on the tasks that lie ahead including the three international tournaments in which Sierra Leone is poised to participate.
