The Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq, and NSA Project Coordinator Shamsu Mustapha are on a three-day visit to Swakopmund, Namibia. Their goal is to assess the facilities and resources for the inaugural African Traditional Sports Competition.
Dr. Abdulai, also head of the African Traditional Sports Secretariat, and Mustapha, President of the African Traditional Games Association, were welcomed by Dr. Peter Mawere, Managing Director of Barakitso Sports Management (BSM), and Mr. Fanus Engelbrecht, CEO of MTC Dome High-performance Namibia.
Dr. Mawere emphasized Sierra Leone’s role as the upcoming host of the All African Games for traditional sports and praised MTC Dome’s international standards. Mr. Engelbrecht highlighted the facility’s capabilities, including high-performance training, sports neuroscience, and coach training.
Mustapha expressed excitement about the progress of the African Traditional Sports Competition, noting that significant advancements have been made in six years. Dr. Abdulai conveyed greetings from Sierra Leone and assured Namibia of support. He emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage in sports and promoting pan-Africanism through traditional games.
The visit concluded with a thorough tour of the facilities, marking a crucial step towards ensuring Namibia’s readiness to host the event and demonstrating the commitment of Sierra Leone and Namibia to promote traditional African sports.