MONROVIA – The tricky header from towering defender Eric Dolo and wily kick from Captain Vieu Kollie were enough to see Nimba County clinch this year’s football trophy in what many are calling a well-organized National County Meet.
The win is the fourth for Nimba County, and it comes after 31 years since 1978.
The ‘Mountainous Boys,’ using the offensive 4-3-4 formation convincingly flogged the ‘Doe-doo Boys’ of Grand Gedeh County 2-0 in front of over 35,000 spectators, including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, senior officials of government and dignitaries.
From 1977 to 1979, Nimba County won three successive County Meet titles in football, and the 2009/2010 trophy brings the silverware count to four in the county’s cabinet.
“From the onset of this tournament, I know that we could win the trophy. My tactics, pieces of advice, time and effort is evidence to indicate that this trophy is ours,” Coach Gborboe Gblinwon stated.
Senator Adolphus Dolo of Nimba County registered his jubilation.
“I just want to thank the players, technical team, people from Nimba County and our well wishers who contributed to the success we are now celebrating.
“To me the County Meet achieved its objective in term of fostering peace, unity and reconciliation, and I want to tell the Grand Gedeians that we love them and hope to meet in the next challenge,” he said.
In the kickball edition, the ‘Mountainous Chics’ of Nimba County won their debut trophy, bashing Maryland 3-2 innings.
In basketball, Grand Cape Mounty County was crowned champ after defeating Bong County 45-40. Rivercess secured third place by beating Margibi 57-50 points.
In volleyball, Bong, Rivercess and Bassa were crowned 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners respectively, while in track and field, Sinoe won the 1,500 meter and 400m men’s race. Montserrado took home the 1,500m trophy in the women’s race while Rivercess took the remaining tiaras.
Meanwhile, the organizing chairman of the 2009/2010 County Meet, Murvee Gray has thanked the Chief Patron of Sports, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Finance Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan for their moral and financial support to the National County Meet.
The continuity of the National County Meet by the President, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Gray stated, is a clear manifestation of her determination to foster peace, unity and reconciliation amongst Liberians.
The Assistant Minister of Sports further praised the timeliness of the US$600,000 from the Government’s coffers as an indication of the moral support of Finance Minister, Augustine K. Ngafuan.
Gray also thanked the 52nd Legislature for increasing the County Meet budget from US$315,000 to US$60,000 as well as Sports Coordinators and the people of Liberia.
The National County Meet is an annual even organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, under the theme ‘One Nation, One People, Through Sports.’
The County Meet brought together the 15 political sub-divisions, who competed for titles in five disciplines – football, basketball, kickball, volleyball and track.
Nimba is Liberia’s largest county, located in north-central portion of the country.
The county is named after Neinbaa Tohn Mountain, the tallest mountain in the county. It shares borders with Bong and Grand Bassa counties to the west, River Cess County to the southwest, and Grand Gedeh County to the southeast.