By Mary Kabay
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Africell-SL and the Sports Writers Association Sierra Leone (SWASAL) on 22nd September 2021 during an event that took place at Africell-American Corner on Bathurst Street geared towards promoting local sports news update in the country. In the renewed partnership Africell will help to provide SWASAL with the capacity to effectively report on sporting activities across the country.
In attendance were the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, Africell’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Joe Abass Bangura, Deputy Executive Director of the National Sports Authority, Dr. Abdul Rahman Swaray, some members of staff Africell, sport loving fans and the Press.
President of SWASAL, Sahr Morris Jr, in his statement highlighted how the event is historic not only for the sport writers but also for the telecommunications sector in the country maintaining that Africell is synonymous with sport in the country furthering that the MoU they will be signing will continue to strengthen the bond between SWASAL and Africell.
Sahr Morris Jr, disclosed that over the years Africell had been supporting the Association pointing out how in 2011 the telecommunications company supported SWASAL to do live coverage of the then football match that was played between Sierra Leone and Liberia, also identifying another which was the triumphant entry of Leone Stars from Guinea after the game between Sierra Leone and Benin that led to the country’s qualification for the African Nations Cup.
As SWASAL is an affiliate body to SLAJ, the President of the latter, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, expressed appreciation Africell for its continuous support to sport writers and went further to implore members of SWASAL to make use of the partnership noting that both parties stand to benefit.
An SMS service for daily sports updates was also launched by Africell and SWASAL. Africell users can subscribe to this service by texting SUB to 392 for Le 300 per day. Sahr Morris revealed that both parties (Africell and SWASAL) will get a 50/50 percentage sharing of the proceeds of this service.
On his part, Joe Abass Bangura dilated on the benefits of the company’s sport service to all Africell subscribers emphasizing how he cannot over emphasize the importance of sports to the country. He stated that Sports is one way for bringing people or nations together irrespective of their differences. “Sports have been shaping the social fabric of the nation and Africell is part of what Sierra Leoneans are interested in,” he informed.
Joe Abass Bangura told all that the service is now available and it is easy to access by all Africell subscribers. He said an Africell customer can subscribe by sending SUBS to 392 for Le300 also revealing that subscription is automatic which means once a subscriber had subscribed to the service he or she receives daily sports updates.
He also encouraged the sport writers to regularly ensure fresh sports update are available, share sports related stories, bringing out the rich history of sport legends.
“For us (at Africell), SWASAL is our incontestable partner,” he noted. Joe Abass Bangura highlighted Africell’s role in promoting sports in the country, ranging back from 2006 when they funded a friendly match between Leone Stars of Sierra Leone and Sili National of Guinea at the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown.
Joe Abass Bangura ended by stating: “Let’s Support Sport Let’s Unite Our Nation”.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Swarray in his keynote address pointed out some of the constraints that the Association is bedeviled with and encouraged them to be reporting the positive things about sports admonishing that they should not wait for negative things to happen.
He underscored that soccer is not the only sporting discipline in the country meaning that the sports writers must also show case other sporting disciplines.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Swarray also emphasized the need to collaborate with parastatals, agencies and the private sector to develop sports in the country.
“Hence the reason it is relevant that SWASAL plays a very important role in not only writing sports, but in promoting and help developing sports in Sierra Leone.”
The event was climaxed with the signing of the MoU by Sahr Morris Jr and Joe Abass Bangura.
