By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

NSA’s mandate is to disburse funds to all sporting disciplines in order to achieve their periodic activities but they are now on tooth-tongue – grind.

The Sierra Leone National Sports Authority (NSA) is under serious pressure from other sporting associations to diversify funds from football to other sporting disciplines.

The advocates of other sporting disciplines are asking the NSA to divert about 60 percent of football expenditures to other disciplines like cycling and cricket, Volleyball, Handball.

They argue that football has failed to reap dividends, but cycling and cricket have brought in return on investment and medals back home. Similarly, football fans in Sierra Leone have been making their views through calls-in radio programs, condemning Leone Star’s performances in international matches. The local team has been unable to secure enough points to get them qualify for AFCON. Sports analysts have suggested for the domestic leagues including the Premier League, to be sponsored instead of what they said spending “wastefully” some thousands of dollars to boys who can’t bring home trophies.

Lately, the Sierra Leone Cycling Team participated in Tour de Cote d’Ivoire in Ivory Coast, and a player was able to clinch gold medals through Moses Kamara, who finished first on day four of the 8-day competition. He was able to beat other competitors from Togo, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon and Mali.

The sports activists have used Sierra Leone national team, Leone Stars poor performance, as example, citing reckless spending by the country, including on the qualifying race for AFCON competition to be hosted in Ivory Coast.

Although football is the most popular sport in the West African nation, cycling is also attracting a lot of attention lately especially the Tour de Lunsar cycling competition which attracts numerous riders not only in Sierra Leone but also in Africa.

However, the Executive Director, NSA, Dr. Emmunal Saffa Abdulia said NSA will only fund ten sporting disciplines due to limited funds, adding that amid the 56 associations in the country 10 will benefit in the upcoming budget approval.

He made this statement during financial year 2025 debate at the Ministry of Finance HQs at George Street in Freetown.

He emphasized that the support from NSA will base on ranking and merit this time around because government is now aware of taxpayers’ money to aid sporting associations in the country.