A year after assuming office, a cross section of Executive Members of the National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association of Sierra Leone paid a courtesy call to the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio.

This meeting was facilitated by the Minister of Sport Augusta James Teima. President of NOC, Prince Sualley congratulated President Bio for appointing the first female minister of sport. He highlighted that since taking office in December 2022 the NOC has had a good relationship with the Ministry of Sport and the National Sport Authority, whose Executive Director Kenneth Braima was also in attendance.

Several presentations were made to the Head of State by the NOC President:

  • A plaque from the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)
    for his contribution to sports. This special gift was to be delivered by ANOCA President
    Mustapha Berraf in November 2022 when Sierra Leone hosted the ANOCA Secretary
    General’s meeting, but due to scheduling he had been unable to deliver it.

  • The Official Recognition Certificate as a National Olympic Committee by the
    International Olympic Committee. This had been given by the IOC President Thomas
    Bach when the NOC SLE visited the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland in July,
    2023

  • The Official Invitation to the Olympic Games sent out 1 year before the opening.
    ceremony in line with Rule 44 of the Olympic Charter.

The meeting comes in the wake of the Annual Congress of the NOC held on Saturday 11th January 2024 at the Country Lodge Conference Centre. The Minister of Sport applauded the NOC for a successful AGM in which she was a keynote speaker. ‘Your Excellency I was impressed with the unity amongst the various sporting federations, which is why I felt it was important that I organise this meeting to demonstrate the government’s support to the NOC’ Minister Teima told the President.

President Sualley informed the President about the plans of the NOC to build their own headquarters for which they had started receiving support from ANOCA. He also highlighted his plans for Team Salone ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics: ‘We hope to win our first Olympic medal this Summer and see a Sierra Leonean Athlete on the podium’.

President Bio emphasised on the power of sport, recalling how the whole nation was united in its support for Leone Stars (nickname for Sierra Leone’s national Men’s football team) at the previous African Cup of Nations. He assured the NOC that in the buildup to the Olympics it will be a priority of his government to ensure that the Sport and Finance Ministries collaborate to provide resources and support to the NOC. It has become customary for Heads of State to attend the world’s biggest sporting event in the Olympic Games, and President Bio was urged by the NOC Executive to pencil the Summer Games in his calendar. A century since Paris last hosted the Games, the Olympic Games is set to be the most spectacular ever, headlined by an opening ceremony like no other on the Seine River – the first outside a stadium. Impressed with the forthcoming Games, President Bio promised to attend the Opening Ceremony, and to cheer on Sierra Leonean athletes.