The National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOCSL) on 1 March 2023 held a One-on-One meeting with the Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association (SLTA) at their Howe Street office in Freetown.

In his opening statement, Prince Vandi Sualley, President of the National Olympic Committee welcomes the Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association. He said every process has a beginning and that he has decided to have a meeting with member associations on one on one basis.

He affirmed that the National Olympic Committee and Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association cannot move forward if they don’t see eye to eye or if there is no strong relationship between them.

“Under my tenure, if the Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association succeeds, it means that the National Olympic Committee has succeeded but if the Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association failed, and then the National Olympic Committee has failed,” he said.

He added that presently, the National Olympic Committee has appointed a specialist that is in overall charge of planning and executing a survey (Project Manager) and creating the database system of all executive members, coaches, and athletes of national associations.

Sualley said he wants to also know their organizational structures, sizes, strength, facilities, and calendar of events.

He added that he is looking to start somewhere and he is ready to give the national association the opportunities and assistance they deserve.

The NOC President thanked the Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association for attending the meeting and promise to work with their association with a difference. He noted that all Sporting Association going for the 2024 Olympics Games qualifiers there are plans for all of them to camp outside and prepared their athletes for qualifiers.

While president of the Sierra Leone Taekwondo Association, Oness Abayomi Johnson expressed his appreciation to the president of the National Olympic Committee for holding this all-important one on one meeting.

He promised NOC that he will give them all to make sure this NOC executive is proud in n just two months into office.

The NOC president has assured Sierra Leone Taekwondo that the National Olympic Committee will provide all the necessary support and assistance that will allow Sierra Leone Taekwondo to compete in this year’s World Taekwondo Championship 2023, in Baku, Azerbaijan, and African Taekwondo Championship in Dakar, Senegal.

For the first time in the history of Sierra Leone Taekwondo benefited from the National Olympic Committee to represent Sierra Leone in two international competitions in a year. A huge demonstration that the status quo is different.

President Johnson was accompanied by the treasurer Patricia Wesley, Organizing Secretary Ibrahim Foday Yansaneh, and Assistant Secretary-General Umaru Bundu. They presented two plaques to the National Olympic Committee president as a gift of recognition for the president of the NOC.