By Perry B. Zordyu
MONROVIA – A delegation from the Sierra Leonean Sports Authority is in Liberia on a fact-finding mission to study the development and impact of kickball, a sport steadily gaining popularity across the region. The visit aims to help Sierra Leone adopt similar structures and strengthen bilateral sporting ties.
During a recent visit to the headquarters of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), the leadership of the Liberia Kickball Federation (LKF) and the Sierra Leonean delegation held discussions with NLA executives on building stronger partnerships to promote the sport.
Deputy Director General for Administration and Acting Director General of the NLA, Mr. Ennish L. Fahnbulleh, assured the visiting delegation of the Authority’s commitment to supporting kickball, which he described as Liberia’s traditional sport.
Fahnbulleh pledged that the NLA would increase its financial support to ensure kickball grows beyond Liberia and attracts foreign sponsorship. He further announced that, under the theme “Let the Game Grow”, the NLA will work with betting and gaming institutions to support clubs during the 2025/2026 league season. According to him, this will ease the financial burden on club presidents and owners, as gaming institutions will be encouraged to allocate budgetary support to selected teams.
For his part, Sierra Leone’s Director of Participation and Sustainable Sports, Mr. Steven Korfala, praised Liberia for its efforts in promoting kickball and called for stronger collaboration between the two countries.
“We are committed to working with the Liberia Kickball Federation to ensure the sport is firmly established across the region,” Korfala said. He emphasized that their presence in Liberia provided a clearer understanding of kickball’s rules, disciplinary standards, and its potential contributions to women’s empowerment, regional growth, and economic development.
Korfala also revealed that the Sierra Leonean media is prepared to promote the sport after gaining deeper insights from Liberia’s experience. He encouraged collaboration between the two countries’ lottery authorities to boost kickball and other sporting initiatives.
Meanwhile, the President of the Liberia Kickball Federation, Ambassador Surprise Whea, disclosed that a 220-member Liberian delegation will depart for Sierra Leone on Tuesday, October 13, 2025, for a week-long series of kickball activities, including exhibitions, aimed at formally establishing the sport there.
Whea said the trip’s budget—covering transportation, feeding, accommodation, and media coverage—will be jointly supported by the NLA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with the NLA providing significant financial contributions.
On Sunday, September 7, 2025, the visiting Sierra Leonean delegation attended a kickball exhibition match hosted by the LKF at the D-Tweah Sports Pitch in New Kru Town.
