Over the weekend, owners of football academies in Bo District held a day-long consultative meeting at Box Point on Fenton Road.
The purpose of the meeting was to strategize and find ways to foster the development of football, especially at the grassroots level in Bo and Sierra Leone as a whole.
Alhaji Mustapha Shariff, the visionary initiator and CEO of Kortugboma Academy, emphasized the importance of the meeting, stating that they are working on a plan to reform their operations and existence so that there will be continuity regardless of what happens in the future.
He further explained that football in Sierra Leone has taken different dimensions, and for Bo to succeed, it has to seize the opportunity by laying the foundation for grassroots football. The success in that area will be an indicator of their future.
Mark 10, who also spoke at the meeting, revealed that they have recently completed the U-12 & U-14 league within Bo District, where numerous academies participated. They are now working on ways to bring all of them under a single body. Alhaji noted that in the not-too-distant future, they will set up their association to regulate their affairs. He refused to confirm the name of the association but promised to do so after the next meeting.
Chrenoh Van Bah, the Coordinator of the Southern Region Football Association, expressed his enthusiasm, saying that this is the first time in the history of Bo football to see the formation of a grassroots football association.
With the help of Alhaji Mustapha Shariff, the district and regional football associations are poised to develop grassroots football. He continued that many have put their time and resources into this game, and with the collaborative effort of all, they will take this dream to every corner of the Southern Region.
The newly appointed Technical Director of football in the Southern Region, Patrick Uzoh, applauded the academy owners and promised to cascade it to other areas within the region.
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