Sports Minister, NSA Director Rally Swimmers Ahead of Commonwealth Games Challenge
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leone’s Minister of Sports, Hon. Madam Augusta James-Teima, visited the Tollcross International Swimming Centre on Friday to personally rally national swimmers as Team Sierra Leone participates in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Addressing the athletes poolside, the Minister urged them to embrace the magnitude of the moment while delivering an official message of encouragement on behalf of the nation’s leadership.
“I am here representing His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, the Government, and the People of Sierra Leone,” Madam James-Teima told the athletes. “Compete with pride, strength, and resilience as we stand firmly by you.”
The high-level visit highlighted the government’s ongoing push to elevate Sierra Leonean sports on the global stage. Ministry leadership reaffirmed that full institutional backing will extend across all 10 sports disciplines in which Sierra Leonean athletes are slated to compete during the Glasgow Games.
Joined at the venue by Mohamed Alphaka Conteh Esq., Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), both officials spent time engaging with swimmers, coaches, and support staff. Conteh echoed the Minister’s sentiments, pledging continued operational and moral support from the NSA to ensure team members are fully equipped to perform at their peak.
The nation’s swim team was among the first group of Sierra Leonean athletes to enter competitive action, following the Games’ official opening ceremony held earlier in the day at the OVO Hydro arena.