Cricket Team Presents Trophy

The Captain of the Sierra Leone Cricket Team, Ibrahim Sesay, has presented the 'President Tejan Kabbah Peace Trophy' to President Kabbah, Grand Chief Patron of the Cricket Association of Sierra Leone

Team Captain Ibrahim Sesay presenting the peace trophy to President Kabbah	President Kabbah making his remarks

The Peace Trophy was won by Sierra Leone at the 16th Edition of the West African Cricket Tournament held in Banjul, the Gambia

The President of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association, Hon. A.O.D George, described the ceremony as a victory-celebrating occasion. He expressed appreciation to the President for his concern and support, and noted that ' the President Tejan Kabbah Peace Trophy' has great significance, which transcends even the frontiers of the sub-region as it symbolized tranquility after the protracted and destructive period of turbulence the nation and the sub-region had experienced. He expressed the hope that the peace in Sierra Leone would grow from strength to strength.

Hon. A.O.D George with the team Captain Ibrahim Sesay	Some members of the cricket team

Hon. A. O. D. George expressed gratitude to the Bank of Sierra Leone, Rokel Bank and State Lottery as well as CAS travels for facilitating the team's participation in the tournament. He reported to the President that the association, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports, had been able to conduct a school cricket league in Freetown for the last five years.

On the International front, he said that for the first time this nation was able to participate in the ICC cricket world cup preliminaries in South Africa, and that its performance was rated as laudable. He said they continue to be the reigning champions of West Africa in both the senior and junior divisions and called for the co-operation and assistance of all Sierra Leoneans so that these successes would continue.

Members of the cricket team	Minister of Youth and Sports-Dr. Dennis Bright

Hon George, however, told the President that they have only one playing field at Kingtom which faces the bleak prospect of disintegration. He therefore appealed for the grounds to be turned over to the association for the sole purpose of cricket, one of the few conditions yet to be fulfilled in order to qualify for associateship with the international cricket conference.

President Kabbah congratulated the players for having brilliantly won their matches and for bringing home this beautiful trophy. He said when a team like this goes out on such competitions, its members should see themselves as ambassadors for the country.
He said that he was pleased to note that the cricketers behaved and acquitted themselves well, both in the Gambia and South Africa.

But he said that there were certain people who when they go out find pleasure in talking bad about this country and painting a wrong picture to scare away friends and potential investors. Some, he said, did so in order to find excuses to continue to live in foreign lands, without any intention of comuing back to contribute to nation-building.
But these stories, the President noted, do not influence outsiders as most of them prefer to come and get a first-hand knowledge of the situation in the country. For the vast majority of those investors who make up their minds to come they almost always find Sierra Leone to be a very hospitable and beautiful country to be in. Sierra Leoneans, he said, must develop a positive mental attitude about their country.

President of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association Hon. A.O.D George	President Kabbah in hand shake with Crickters

The President was pleased to note that members of the association did not behave in a negative way, but rather they have brought credit to this nation. The President commended the trainers and managers noting that the last time, the team brought home the 'Sani Abacha Trophy' and this time the 'Tejan Kabbah Peace Trophy'.

President Kabbah, however, called on officials not to limit the sports to Freetown but to ensure a national spread, as there are people in other parts of the country who may want to get acquainted with the sports. He recalled that when he was District Commissioner before and after independence cricket used to be popular in certain parts of the provinces, especially at the Bo School.

The President noted with pleasure that the private sector was involved in sponsoring the team and he called on the managers to put what he called 'some commercial touch' into the game. He also called on the Ministry of Youth and Sports to source some funding to help extend this sporting discipline to other parts of the country and also to facilitate the team's participation in regular competitions.

He wished the association success and expressed the hope that they would continue to bring more laurels to the country.

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