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President
Kabbah Receives Under-17 Footballers
By
Yusuf Alghali
1st
October 2003-Twelve out of a total of twenty
young players who represented Sierra Leone at
the recent Under-17 World Soccer Championship
in Finland failed to return home after the team,
Sierra Stars, was eliminated from the competition.
The
remaining eight players and officials who returned
home were today formally presented to President
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah by a delegation comprising
the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Dennis Bright,
and Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Chairman,
Justice Tola Thompson.
Addressing
the players and other senior sports officials
at the Presidential Lodge, President Kabbah made
no secret of his disappointment
that some of their colleagues had decided to stay
behind in Finland seeking political asylum.
He
said individuals who claim asylum in Europe would
usually have to narrate false stories about their
situation to strengthen and justify their claims.
He said such stories invariably paint a bleak
picture of one's home country to the extent that
well-meaning foreign investors shy away.
Furthermore,
the President observed that such negative practices
had made it difficult for genuine visa applicants,
including businessmen, patients and students,
to secure entry visas to enter Europe and other
countries. He referred to another fairly recent
event wherein athletes who departed Freetown for
a sports competition in Manchester, United Kingdom,
faile d
to show up after the games. He opined that the
British High Commission's recent refusal to issue
UK visas to the Finland-bound Sierra Stars squad,
was probably based on experiences from the Manchester
games.
"I
am particularly happy that you decided to come
back," President Kabbah told the remaining
members of the squad; adding "I am proud
of you and I believe most Sierra Leoneans are".
He said on the whole, the players performed well
enough and deserve his congratulations, noting
that they had put the name of their country on
the global football map.
Highlighting
the numerous problems associated with African asylum
seekers in Europe, the Head of State disclosed that
he had requested Vice President Berewa to encourage
the Finnish President, while in New York for the
UN General Assembly, tosee to it that the fugitive
players are persuaded
to return home.
Continuing, President Kabbah proudly made reference
to reports that some loyal players who faithfully
returned home would soon be heading for trials with
Manchester United, one of the leading football clubs
in Britain. He said such was the reward for hard
work and patience.
He
went on to cite two "unfortunate slogans
institutionalised by past regimes," namely,
"Oosai den tai cow na dey e for eat",
extolling corruption and another "Den
say Bailoh Barrie, you say Davidson Nicol",
downplaying the essence of education. President
Kabbah maintained that corruption, though a global
phenomenon, would never allow peace to reign in
the country if left unchecked. "Let's come
together and
work for the common good and not for individual
and selfish ends," he said, expressing very
praiseworthy comments regarding the selfless efforts
of Messrs Vincent Kanu and
Alhaji
Alim Awoko Sesay, both of whom he lauded for their
exemplary display of patriotism
and love for the country's youths.
Earlier
in his introductory remarks Youth and Sports
Minister, Dr. Denis Bright, noted that his ministry
viewed the behaviour of the fugitive players
as unpatriotic, while Justice Tola Thompson
described their action as "an embarrassment
to the country". He said the SLFA would
spare no effort in trying to get the players
back.
-End-
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