The Executive Director of the Sierra Leone’s National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, and Team have urged Abdulrahman Lamin, the head of UNESCO’s southern regional office in Harare, Zimbabwe to support traditional games and sports.
The move is part of calculated efforts to spread the ideals of African traditional games and sports and to attract potential sponsors.
At a courtesy call on Saturday, Dr. Saffa Abdulai informed Mr. Lamin that Sierra Leone is hosting the Africa Secretariat of the Traditional Games and Sports, and therefore, it is taking a leadership role on the continent. He announced Zimbabwe’s winning of the bid to host the 2028 African Traditional Games and that the delegation was in Zimbabwe to sign the agreement and support the country in establishing the necessary frameworks for successful execution.
The NSA Boss went on to say that traditional games and sports fall within UNESCO’s mandate to preserve cultural heritage and promote youth engagement in sports.
He urged the UNESCO representative to lend support to the Zimbabwe Commission on Traditional Games and Sports, highlighting the importance of these games as a strong cultural heritage for formerly colonised peoples.
“Many traditional games which were part of my childhood have been overshadowed by foreign game. It is important we internationalise African games,” he said.
Chief Michael Mustapha, President of the African Traditional Games and Sports Federation, elaborated on the framework being used for the codification of traditional games, which was sponsored by UNESCO. He said the initial meeting to initiate traditional games and sports, which was also funded by UNESCO, took place in Turkey.
President Mustapha revealed that the University of Cape Town and Makerere University are developing a master’s programme focused on traditional African games, indicating that the games are undergoing a scientific process of documentation and study.
In his response, Mr. Lamin expressed gratitude and conveyed his pride in meeting fellow countrymen who were leading efforts to promote African culture.
Drawing from his educational experiences in South Africa, the head of UNESCO’s Southern Regional Office acknowledged the significance of pan-Africanism and the collective contributions of various African nations to the liberation movement. He affirmed that traditional African games fostered unity among Africans and pledged his support to the Zimbabwe Commission on Games and Sports, promising to visit their office in the coming weeks.
He also assured that the Regional Office would collaborate with country commissions to further these initiatives.
Lizzie Mupure, who heads Zimbabwe’s Traditional Games and Sports Commission, extended her heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Lamin for the meeting, expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity to collaborate in the future.
She acknowledged the delegation from Sierra Leone for their advocacy on behalf of their country, highlighting the importance of their efforts in promoting national interests. She noted that the commitment to working together signalled a promising partnership aimed at fostering positive outcomes for all parties involved.
The National Sports Authority is an agency of Government established by an Act of Parliament with the mandate to promote, encourage, develop, and supervise all sports and sporting activities in Sierra Leone and to provide for other related matters.
NSA Media
