The Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL) Southern province has expressed grave concern over the recent spate of violence in this year’s Inter-Secondary Schools Soccer/Volleyball Competitions in Bo.

According to a press release from SWASAL South dated 14 December 2022, it is shocking and disappointing to learn that this year’s school league competition has been put on hold over security implications after the Sierra Leone Police informed that it will no longer provide security coverage as they are being overstretched with other activities as well as citing a limited number of personnel as compared to the crowd in the match venue.

The press release noted that “this recent act of violence in a meeting with key stakeholders over the weekend particularly pointed at two secondary schools-Christ the King College (CKC) and Bo Government Secondary School to have ignited all this as their pupils allegedly engaged in acts of violence after the highly anticipated rival match between both schools which CKC won by 1-0 on Thursday 8 December 2022 at the Bo Coronation Field”.

The Deputy Director of Education Bo District Mr Ibrahim Yahaya Fofana in the said stakeholders meeting following deliberations with other key stakeholders including principals of both CKC and Bo School-Mr Edward Koroma and Mr Edward Kpakra, it was resolved that the school league be temporarily suspended until further notice.

While SWASAL South appreciates the immediate move taken by the Deputy Director of Education Bo District and other key stakeholders, it also believes that no act of violence must be left unpunished in order not to set bad precedents.

As the parent body of sports journalists and passionate followers of sports ourselves, the press release went on to state that SWASAL is aware of the huge benefits that such competitions bring to the individual athlete, school, community and country as a whole as over the years to present date, players are being spotted from the school league and later end up playing for big clubs in and out of the country.

SWASAL release maintained that again, “we condemn in its strongest terms the use of violence in any form, be it by school leaders, spectators, coaches, officials or players”, adding that “We, therefore, wants to remind all sports-loving fans and the entire sports family that violence is unacceptable and intolerable as it has no space in sports across the globe, as no matter the outcome of a match, sportsmanship should be highly demonstrated at all times”.

SWASAL in its release made recommendations including “That an immediate an impartial full-scale investigation on the said matter be carried out and bring perpetrators to book as well ensure they bear full responsibility for their actions. With close consultation with the police allow the school league competition which has already reached its semifinals to continue but to be played behind closed doors”.

The release added that any school deciding to back out even after negotiations between the organizers (MBSSE) and the Sierra Leone Police must be fined and should subsequently miss out on the following competition as for subsequent years, school leaders before the start of the competition commits controlling their pupils.