Sirleaf
Wants Change Of Course
Mr. Momolu VO Sirleaf
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
A veteran sports journalist, in suggesting the way forward for
sports development, has called for a change of course.
“We cannot stay the course because this has not helped us to make
the inroads we need to make on the world stage of sports. We must
change, for real change demands perseverance and patience. That is
the dividend that Liberians would want to see.”
Mr. Sirleaf spoke these words at the March 2009 edition of the
Herbert Grigsby Lecture Series, organized by the Sports Writers
Association of Liberia (SWAL), on Saturday, March 14, 2009 in
Monrovia.
A former President of SWAL, Mr. Sirleaf stated: “Of course,
successful change must begin to improve sports. And, that does not
mean being patient with mediocrity. And, that does not mean being
patient with less innovation, too. It is time that our dreams now
outweigh our memories and find workable solutions to our sports
misery.
As stated by Mr. Sirleaf, it is no understatement that sports
writing and sports development are intertwined.
He noted, “It is a marriage that must be fostered and taken
seriously. When I began my sports journalism career with “The
Standard” newspaper, hardly there was a sports paper on the Liberian
market. Fans, administrators, athletes depended on page seven of the
newspapers for information and the rest. Astute sports writers like
J. Burgess Carter of the Daily Observer, Omari Jackson of Daily
Star, J. Caesar Padmore of The Mirror, Jackson F. Kanneh, Dennis
Toe, and Augustine Tebleh, the man who gave me my first shot at my
journalism dream, etc. set the pace for the rest of us to follow.”
He recalled that it was in late 1987 when a group of veteran sports
writers including Omari Jackson, Bana Sackey, Jackson Kanneh, Mozart
Dennis recruited him to join Liberia’s first major pre-war sports
newspaper, “This Sporting Life”. Mr. Sirleaf termed the sports paper
at the time as Liberia’s voice for sports writing in that it
commanded respect from sports administrators, fans, players in the
country.
He narrated: “You can call it the “Golden Age” of Liberian sports
writing. Other sports newspapers like Willis Knuckles’ ‘Sports
World’, Mohammed Winpea’s ‘Sports Chronicle’, Ikosa Ike’s Sports
Journal, etc followed suit. I say all this, not to bore you with
history, but set the stage for my discussion of the role of sports
writers in the development of sports in the country.”
Sadly, the former SWAL President declared that Liberia’s sports
programs have declined to an appalling level.
Mr. Sirleaf pointed out that there is enough blame to go around for
the terrible state of Liberian sports.
However, he is very disappointed with the new breed of sports
writers who received the baton from the veterans.
“Pick up any sports newspaper, or read any sports page in our
dailies, and the first thing you would see is Manchester United,
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, etc.
“Let’s face it. We cannot improve our local sports when the entire
sports paper of a newspaper is dedicated to foreign stories from
front to back. This is called sports journalism gone badly.”
He explained that those foreign stories are written by great and
accomplished sports writers, but that local papers of Liberia
plagiarized, copied and paste these stories verbatim without giving
the foreign news organs the credit.
Such act, Mr. Sirleaf terms as despicable and terrible as it is not
promoting local sports.
The veteran sports journalist stated that sports writers must share
the blame for the current state of affairs of Liberian sports.
He wants young Liberian sports writers to take stock at themselves
and begin a new direction in sports writing.
Mr. Sirleaf: “Sports writers must go above and beyond in fulfilling
their responsibilities to their country.
“If this trend continues, Liberian athletes and players would not
have a fair chance of getting the coverage needed in excelling and
therefore denying them a shot at their dreams. Let’s write more
local stories, commentaries, op-ed, editorials, thought provoking
articles, do investigative reporting on the local scene. I know you
can do it. We did it and you can do it.”
Moreover, Mr. Sirleaf said: “Since the founding of our country,
sports technicians and administrators have never developed a
National Sports Policy and Plan. We have always operated on ad hoc
basis. Over the past years, we failed to develop a plan and provide
a strategic direction to Liberian sports. We cannot make real
progress without a Plan and Policy. Our sports programs lack
innovation and thorough planning and let not kid ourselves, we
cannot develop sports in the absence of real programs, strategies,
policies and plans.”
He noted that it is time to take a holistic approach to sports
development in the country.
Mr. Sirleaf admonished the Ministry of Youth and Sports and sporting
bodies to begin to collaborate and work for the common good.
“The “bad blood” that has always existed between the Liberia
Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sports reached an
explosive stage last year. We cannot move forward in this manner. It
is time to put common sense into Liberian sports programs. Let the
bickering, backstabbing, undermining and hatred be a thing of the
past.”
The Ministry of Youth Sports, Mr. Sirleaf continued, should convene
a national body of technicians, with full financial support to begin
the process of developing a National Sports Policy, Plan and
Strategy.
“The team must be charged with the responsibilities of drafting a
national framework and later convene a validation conference to
finalize the document.
“We have the technical know-how to deliver the goods and this would
be a break from the past and start afresh. Let’s develop sports
programs for our tomorrows, and not our yesterdays. Let’s give the
new generation of footballers, basketballers, boxers, athletes a
chance to walk into a better tomorrow.”
He opined that the present high tension within the Liberia Football
Association is not acceptable and must be condemned by all and
sundry. “The LFA has not been able to see peace following the last
elections. There are some administrators who are bent on rocking the
boat and destroying the good intent of others. This must not stand.”
Mr. Sirleaf is sure that everyone can do so much more to work
together, cooperate among themselves, to seize the problems and the
opportunities and deliver great sports programs in the country.
He called for elimination to hateful intolerance, bigotry and to
embrace a healthy tolerance in order to give way for time to work
for the common good of sports. “It is time to roll up our sleeves
and work hard to preserve our tomorrow.”
Now he said is about time to embrace common humanity and shared
sports destiny. “My friends, it is time for new beginning and new
thinking.”
Mr. Sirleaf is optimistic that the sun will rise again on Liberian
sports, as long as the present generation of sports administrators,
journalists light the fire. “So, again, the torch is passed to a new
generation of sports writers and administrators.”
He demanded a celebration for the spirited and heralded performances
of the past. He was referring to Liberia’s remarkable achievements
in the world of sports, struggles and triumphs of the past. “We must
celebrate the future, too imaging that we will one day produce
another World Best, another Africa Best, another Europe Best, reach
another Nation Cup finals, and so on.
“We celebrated the change of a new century and began the dawn of the
21st century with high hopes, with Liberia reaching its height in
soccer in historic proportions. Liberia came this close in 2002 to
reaching its first ever World Cup Finals since the founding of our
beloved and great Nation.
“The prospects for our first ever world’s biggest football gathering
were high after two Nations Cup Finals appearances by the national
soccer team, the Lone Star. But when hopes were dashed and the Lone
Star miserably failed to make it to the 2002 World Cup finals, it
was the beginning of many things to come. Today, we find ourselves
in a quagmire with no end in sight. Our athletes can hardly compete
and make huge impact in the world of sports. Our national basketball
teams and representatives cannot compete in competitive basketball
while the local league continues to attract fewer supporters.”
He labeled Liberia’s local soccer as being in its worst state as
teams hardly attract supporters to their games, but fans prefer
watching an Arsenal and Newcastle game than an IE and Barrolle
encounter. “Boxing is suffering as a sport and Liberians now have
nowhere to turn.
“But in all fairness, awareness for table tennis has taken a new
dimension and thanks to the leadership of Lord Brownell.”
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