The Sports Writers Association of Liberia – SWAL has described as total mockery, the allotments made for sports development in the 2024 national budget.
In a press statement, SWAL said it’s disheartening that sports, particularly football continue to receive back-kick , despite the presence of several sporting personalities, including two former Presidents of the football association, representative Musa H.Bility and Senator Edwin M.Snowe at the National Legislature.
With over US$7 million in the 2024 national budget for the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), US$150,000.00 was allotted each for the National football and the National County Sports Meet (NCSM).
Table Tennis Association got 258 USD, Up Country Basketball got an allocation of US$3,691, while Grassroots Sports Development: received US$1,230.00 and Liberia Chess Federation was allotted US$1,230.00.
Two hundred forty-six dollars (US$246.00) was also allotted for the Liberia Volleyball Federation, while the Track and Field got US$246.00 and Liberia own discipline, the Liberia Kickball Federation (LKF) was allocated US$738.00.
Africa triple champions, the National Amputee Team was given US$3,400.00, with Liberia Karate Federation being allotted US$258.00.
The Liberia Athletic Federation (LAF) received US$24,276.00. Disgustingly, US$1,230.00 was allocated for Liberia’s second most popular sport, Basketball and Inter School Sports Association received an allotment of 492 USD.
In total, a little over US$3,37,000.00 was appropriated for Sports, one of the least allotments in recent years.
SWAL wonders how the legislators, many of whom are high-ranking sports enthusiasts put pens to papers to approve US$1,230 .00 for basketball and US$150,000.00 for national football for example?
The Sports writing body believes the amounts allotted to the various disciplines do not manifest the current financial challenges facing the sporting sector.
The organization asserted that sports is a key area of employment whether short or long term for vast majority of young people, as such, government must express willingness to support the sector.
SWAL lamented further that the allotments made for the national teams, kickball, Basketball and Volleyball federations are pocket change that will further strangulate those disciplines.
The Press Union Of Liberia (PUL) auxiliary emphasized that, if the Boakai-Koung leadership is serious about the so-called RESCUE and ARREST agendas, it must be holistic, instead of giving a blind-eye to the important role of sports in national development.
SWAL is there calling on Sports stakeholders to join hands and vigorously campaign for increments in the next budget.
