By Abu H. Kargbo

One of the unique ways of giving back to a country is promoting football.

And Ahmad Sasso is doing just that. She is a female football coach based in the United States of America, and a former player of East End Lions FC who initiated the Veterans Unite tournament back then since 2014.

Within a decade, the tournament has built its momentum on the mantra of promoting unity among ex-players by honouring their fellow fallen heroes.

“Over the last 10 years, we have been reuniting with our colleague ex-players who are based in Sierra Leone through this tournament,” said Ibrahim Koroma, who is affectionately known as Junior Parade told this medium.

Junior Parade Koroma, a former East End Lions midfielder and ex-Leones Stars captain lauded Ahmad Sasso for his brilliant initiative and the resources he pours in every edition, making the tournament attractive to many who are in the diaspora, considering it a ‘never-missed’ event.

“We started playing this tournament with six teams but the number has significantly increased in the last nine years and there are veteran teams in the provinces who have expressed interest,” he added.

Junior Parade, the best player in the 1993 Zone 2 tournament, further revealed that the Veterans Unite competition has health benefits as it based on-field actions.

Adding it provides a platform to reminisce on as ex-players during their peak of their football careers and youthful days.

As the tenth edition is ongoing, Ahmad Sasso, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Veterans Unite tournament, reiterated his commitment to sustaining the competition, especially in honouring and keeping alive the memories and legacies of their deceased colleagues.

“Some of our legends are gone but we will never forget them,” he said.

He revealed that this year’s edition is in honour of their fellow fallen heroes, including; Alphajor, Lamin Junior Tumbu Conteh, Coach Lamin Bangura, and Leslie Allen among others for their dedicated service to the nation.

“The 10th anniversary is dedicated to all our late and great legends who were once ambassadors for this great nation. May they all continue to rest in eternal peace,” Coach Sasso prayed.

The competition has led to the establishment of the National Association of Football Veterans (NAFVet) clubs, headed by Chairman Amidu Koroma, who is fondly called ‘Freaky’, and is the Coordinator of the Veterans Unite tournament.

“Through this tournament, we have established a national association to regulate veteran football across Sierra Leone,” he noted.

A total of twenty-two teams are participating in the ongoing edition.

“This tournament has brought awareness among us the veterans and it gives us the urge to participate in such a mega-event every December,” Chairman Freaky said.