Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, has challenged the Director of Sports, Haroun Korgi, over concerns surrounding the selection of athletes for international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games.

The exchange took place during a meeting convened to discuss allegations that the wrong athletes were selected to represent Sierra Leone at international competitions.

During the meeting, the Minister of Sports explained to the Chief Minister that the annual Traditional Boxing Sports competition has been in existence for more than 100 years.

However, concerns were raised about whether the competition had been sufficiently publicised, particularly among people in marketplaces and communities.

When Chief Minister Sengeh asked whether the Traditional Boxing Sports competition had been publicised in marketplaces, the Director of Sports responded:

“I’m pretty sure that enough sensitisation was done.”

He further stated:

“If you are in marketplaces and you’re not listening to the radio, that is your problem.”

The response prompted a strong reaction from Chief Minister Sengeh, who reminded the Director of Sports that ensuring public awareness of sporting programmes falls within his responsibility.

“It’s your problem, Director. Don’t convince me, because it’s your responsibility,” Dr. Sengeh said.

The Chief Minister then asked Haroun Korgi what his official responsibility was.

“Director of Sports,” Korgi responded.

Dr. Sengeh continued:

“It’s your primary responsibility to ensure that everybody at the market, even those who don’t listen to the radio, knows that his or her child who finishes in first position will represent Sierra Leone in the Commonwealth Games.”

The Chief Minister also questioned whether the Boxing Day Championship should be regarded as the primary criterion for selecting athletes to represent Sierra Leone at major international competitions.

His intervention comes amid wider concerns and allegations surrounding athlete selection and the processes used to identify Sierra Leone’s representatives for international competitions.