By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)
As the 4th edition of the Kroobay amateur football gala tournament gets underway at the Kroobay community playing field in Freetown to identify talents at all levels, Lion Deaf Stars humiliated Sierra Dooper Fisheries 4-0 in their second fixture.
Speaking to the assistant coach of Lion Deaf Stars representing the Sierra Leone Deaf Football Federation, Sorie B. Kamara, said the team recently returned from Ivory Coast, Abidjan where they participated in the Deaf Football tournament organized by the West African Deaf Sports Union (WADSU) from the 14th to 27th August, 2023.
Coach Sorie who served as goalkeeper for Lion Deaf Stars for the match told A24 Sport desk that he did so because the team is presently without a goalkeeper because their star goal man has returned to Guinea due to financial constraints.
He said they lost their opening match against Congo Town FC by 3-2 due to defensive blunder.
He explained that they decided to participate in the on going competition in order to keep the team fit for the upcoming deaf tournaments in Egypt and Germany respectively in 2024-2025.
He said before departing for the Deaf Football Tournament in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, they only received support from individual Sierra Leoneans residing in the United States including Mr. Idrisa Kamara and that they never received support from government through the Ministry of Sports, SLFA or NSA.
Coach Sorie added that before now the Deaf Football Federation was supported by the Sierra Leone Consul in Abidjan with the help of the President of the Sierra Leone community in Abidjan, Daniel Musa and team.
In his joyous mood after the humiliating 4-0 defeat of Sierra Dooper Fisheries, the Team Manager, for the Deaf football team, Coach Alie Alison Conteh, commended the players for their wonderful and superb performance, adding that the winning will be dedicated to their president of the Sierra Leone National Deaf Football Federation, Madam Ramatu Theresa Sesay for her selfless contributions towards deaf victims.
Coach Alison went further to appreciate the entire management of the umbrella organization, the Sierra Leone National Association of the Deaf (SLNAD) for championing the fight to promote deaf persons across the country and beyond.
In response, the Chairman of the Kroobay Amature Sports Association (KBASA), Alhaji Kamara said this tournament marked the fourth edition with twenty five teams currently participating for the coveted trophy. He said the first edition was won by Tabacca FC in 2020/2021 season.
With regards to violence, the Chairman noted that before now they have been submitting code of conducts for all participating teams before the commencement of every edition and that there has never been any cause for alarm. He said his organization has been working cordially with the security sectors to ensure that everything goes successfully.
In his statement as Deaf team captain, Francis says the reason why they lost their first match to Congo Town FC by 3-2 was as a result of lack of experience goalkeeper, but with the intervention of the assistan team coach as goalkeeper, the second match was amazing and fantastic.
The team captain used the opportunity to recognize the efforts made by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Sierra Leone National Deaf Football Association (SLNDFA) Unisa Joe Power Kamara who he said is responsible for the day to day running of the deaf football team together with his wife, Madam Martha Joe Power Kamara.
Francis also recalled that when they were in Abidjan, the President of WADSU honoured Madam Ramatu Threasa Sesay with a lifetime achievement award for her tremendous and outstanding contribution as the only female President of the deaf football team in the sub-region, especially for the male category.
“I am therefore calling on government through the Ministry of Sports to give helping hand to deaf football because we are the only team that has flown the green, white and blue flag higher at international level and crowned as runners’ up in the just concluded Deaf Football tournament in Ivory Coast Abidjan, 2023 but yet we did not receive motivations and recognitions,” the captain added. He said they struggled to travel to Abidjan to represent the country in the tournament he said was full of irregularities and inconsistencies in terms of accommodations, feeding and other benefits but thanked God, they were able to retain the second position for the first time in the history of deaf football in Sierra Leone.
He applauded his team mates and the coaching staff for the hard work to keep the team active and focused while he also extended thanks and appreciations to the President of the Deaf Football Federation, Madam Ramatu Theresa Sesay and also Pa Alhaji Rahman for their unwaving support all these years. He said his squad had participated in several international deaf competitions and the coaches have so far nurture several deaf players but still in search of a quality shotstopper.
He said both teams really performed well to the expectations of their supporters but they were unfortunate to be the winners and hoped to continue in the same spirit in their upcoming fixtures.