UK Minister Boosts SLFA

Minister Hurd participated  in a small football festival in which he saw how young people ,including the most vulnerable in society are given opportunities to be better integrated into their local communities  which will help them develop their self esteem through the British council funded premier skills football coaching.

The UK Minister in  his statement said he represents his government, and  that  the British  Government is very committed to support Sierra Leone and the President’s  Recovery Priorities.

‘We have committed two hundred and forty million  pounds of British  tax payers money to support the battle against Ebola which was won. He added that they are still committed to the country especially the Young people.

What is important according to the UK Minister for International Development, DFiD is very much interested in  education and how to  help shape the lives of young people for the better, noting that sports is powerful in the mind of people  which can  be taught  how to  deal with others.

He extended appreciation to the British council for having  funded the premier skill football coaching and the minister of sport for his ambition to develop sports.

Minister of Sports, Ahmed khanou    in his statement, commended  the effort of  the British council and the British government for their relentless effort toward sports in Sierra Leone.

 ‘I and   my ministry are working   hard to make sure sports takes different dimension’  He said  one of the priorities of the president is to develop every sector in his government, and the sports  ministry in particular to achieve  its desired goals. The premier skills  program he says is part of sports development that can change and develop football in sierra leone.

One of the  local coaches who benefited  from the  training,  Fonie Conteh said the course was helpful to her and it’s an opportunity to empower young people and their  potential so that   they could help develop sports particularly football.

 She further said during the Course, they were taught how to use the premier skills to bring young people from different backgrounds together as a means to fostering peaceful and positive relationships.

Premier skills was launched in Sierra Leone in March 2016 when forty nine coaches and 24 referees were trained by a UK head coach from Stoke City FC  and a supporting team from Hull City FC, building on hull’s wider collaboration with Freetown , supported by key local partners in Sierra Leone Football Association, and the Craig Bellamy foundation ,who sent coaches and referee from their networks