By Millicent Senava Mannah
The President for the Sierra Leone Swimming, Diving, and Water Polo Association, Mohamed Turay, has declared his intention to vie for the Presidency in the upcoming National Olympic Committee Sierra Leone election, which has been slated for the 10th December, 2022. He made that known through a Media Engagement that was held on the 2nd December, 2022, at the National Sports Association Office on Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
Giving the biography of the aspirant, Alie Sonta Kamara, Sports Editor at the Standard Times Newspaper, said Mohamed Turay started his sports journey since he was in school in the year 1987 furthering that he was appointed as Chairman of the Old Edwardians Football and Cricket Associations.
He maintained that he also served as Vice Chairman for Brookfields United and according to him, under his leadership the team won several trophies disclosing how he is also a founding member of the Blackstar Football Club in Liberia, and several others.
The Presidential Aspirant, Mohamed Turay, told journalists that, they are not oblivious of the concerns facing sports stating that there are lamentations of the lack of transparency in institutions, about the crop of athletes they presented on the international stage.
“About the gender biasness we exhibit in the devolution of roles, about the alienation of the media in these days of rigorous news-hunting, about the bureaucracies we feel that one can do it all.” Mohamed Turay stated.
He continued , “and about the very feeling you nurture that some have not served well to be marked as good examples and still want to lord themselves over all by questionable means.”
Mohamed Turay intimated that the change people desire cannot happen by retaining the status quo. According to him, a good leader is all they need to effect the transformation they are so craving for.
“It is on this note I present myself to you and to our revered delegates for the presidency of the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOC-SL) on the path to exemplary transformation,” he declared.
“Over the period of a tortuous journey, we have seen quite a lot: the fall in the interests of sport, the collapse of administrations, the unsavory practice in the selection of athletes to a wide range of other major concerns,” Mohamed Turay stated.
He affirmed that under his presidency at the NOC, he will embark on transparency, inclusiveness, capacity building, and robust media collaboration and how, he will partner with journalists for the effective promotion of NOC activities and sports in general.
He further assured that, he will be organizing regular media briefings to demonstrate transparency and accountability continuing that, he will strengthen gender empowerment and participation in National Olympic Competition.
“I have been a dedicated and committed serving executive member of the NOC via the Sierra Leone Swimming, Diving, and Water Polo Association. I have seen the difficulties, and it is for that reason, I want to transform all sporting disciplines and commissions for the good of all and for the good of our nation,” Mohamed Turay intimated.
He noted that, as a good leader, he will continue to source out funding to support the operations of sporting associations, work with the Government to develop facilities for the training of athletes before any outing.
Mohamed Turay, furthered that, he will take sports to schools, create online TV and Social media platforms to ease information flow respecting the work of NOC, design Athletes Development Support Pathway for correct training, and promote positive synergy with NSA and Sports Ministry.
David Turner, member of the Sierra Leone Football Association, also endorsed Mohamed Turay for the position and according to him, he is fit for the position, and how he will bring transformation to the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone.
