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Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), signed a historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) on July 5, 2024, with Namibian authorities and The Dome Sport Facility.
This agreement aims to promote traditional sports across 54 African nations and paves the way for the first African Traditional Games, set to take place in 2026.
Sierra Leone, home to the African Traditional Sports Secretariat, has been at the forefront of this initiative, working diligently over the past six years to make this vision a reality. Representing Sierra Leone in Namibia were Dr. Saffa Abdulai and Chief Michael Shamsu Mustapha, NSA Project Coordinator. Their five-day visit included tours of Namibian sporting facilities, preparing for the 2026 African Traditional Games.
Key figures at the signing included Mr. Fred Mwiya, Chief Administrator at the Namibia Sport Commission, and Mr. Fanus, CEO of The Dome Sport Facility. This trip has underscored the Sierra Leone government’s pivotal role in hosting the Secretariat and strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Dr. Abdulai highlighted the importance of preserving cultural heritage through sports, blending traditional African games with modern European sports to create a lasting legacy. He emphasized the significance of this initiative in showcasing Sierra Leone’s rich cultural heritage and the country’s leading role in the African sports landscape.
Sierra Leone will officially launch its version of traditional games on August 14, 2024. The identified traditional games include:
Touch
Balancing ball
Skipping rope
Hide and seek
Boskilie
6 Cup
Stopper
In the court, out of the court
Mella
Stone and Gehgeh
Tin Tan To
Ar-die
Ngehgeh
Tet
This launch aims to redefine the role of sports in the country’s development under the new NSA leadership. Notably, this initiative marks the only continental organization of its kind with its Secretariat in Sierra Leone, cementing the nation’s influence in African sports.
