Female Under-19
Team Withdrawn
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
The Acting Minister of Youth and Sport Jeremiah Witherspoon has
instructed the Liberia Football Association (LFA) to immediately
withdraw the country’s team from the CAF Under-19 Female Tournament,
which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 12, 2006 against
Mali.
In a letter to the LFA, Acting Minister Witherspoon complained that
his ministry had long ago raised its objection to the formation and
registration of an Under-19 female national team in the tournament
without seeking the endorsement of the Ministry of Youth and Sports,
noting further that one cannot expect the Government of Liberia, in
its infant stage, to undertake such huge expenses.
Speaking at his Newport Street office, Mr. Witherspoon pointed out
that his Ministry could not justify committing the incoming government
to underwrite such expenses when there was pressing needs to fund
basic social services for the people of Liberia.
Despite the decision, Mr. Witherspoon observed that the home of the
Sports Minister-designate Cllr. Jamesetta Howard-Wolokollie has been
inundated by visits from the LFA in an attempt to prevail her into
endorsing the team’s participation.
In this light, Minister Witherspoon said he would not be bullied
through any machination or intrigues and trickery to overturn this
stance of government. |
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