MONROVIA — Liberia Athletics Federation (LAF) President Mulbah Zaza is asking on the federal government to reevaluate the construction and id of the Nationwide County Sports activities Meet, criticizing the continued exclusion of athletics from the annual event and questioning whether or not it ought to nonetheless be thought-about a very “nationwide” sporting occasion.
In an unique interview with The Liberian Investigator, Zaza stated that labeling the occasion a Nationwide County Sports activities Meet is deceptive when solely soccer and kickball are persistently prioritized.
“The winner of the event must be decided by the variety of trophies or factors from the assorted sporting disciplines,” he argued. “Why do they name it a Nationwide County Sports activities Meet when solely the soccer winner is acknowledged?”
Zaza recalled that in earlier editions, the general champions have been decided by cumulative performances throughout a number of disciplines. He urged the Ministry of Youth and Sports activities to revisit that format and mandate counties to discipline groups in different sports activities, particularly observe and discipline.
“It’s a disservice to different sports activities when solely the soccer winners are thought-about the winners of the County Meet,” he stated.
Zaza additionally challenged the federal government’s oft-repeated declare that the event creates short-term jobs and promotes youth empowerment. He questioned how such targets will be achieved if solely two disciplines are supported.
“We are saying we wish to present short-term empowerment alternatives for younger folks and uncover new skills through the County Meet, however we solely deal with kickball and soccer,” he stated.
The LAF president clarified that his concern isn’t about sidelining soccer or kickball, however slightly about fairness and the missed alternative to showcase and help disciplines like athletics, which have introduced worldwide glory to Liberia.
“If the federal government doesn’t spend money on sports activities, it is going to be a disfavor to younger folks, a lot of whom are going wayward each day,” Zaza stated. “We expect if we are able to create a platform that these kids will be absorbed into, we are able to go a great distance in resolving the problems of medicine and kids within the streets.”
He emphasised the values instilled by athletics–discipline, well being consciousness, and drug-free life.
“Once you do athletics, you do not drink, you do not smoke,” he stated. “We all the time educate our athletes about medicine and their dangerous nature. We name it anti-doping.”
Zaza additionally celebrated the latest worldwide success of Liberian-American sprinter Thelma Davies, who set a brand new nationwide report within the girls’s 100 meters with a blistering time of 10.91 seconds on the World Athletics Continental Tour within the Czech Republic. Davies edged out Ivorian dash icon Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith, who clocked 10.92 seconds.
Zaza hailed Davies as one of many world’s premier athletes, noting her rise to seventh within the world rankings.
“With athletes like Thelma Davies, Joseph Fahnbulleh, Ebony Morrison and the remainder, it’s clear that athletics is Liberia’s greatest sport and must be supported always by the federal government,” he stated.