Published: October 17, 2025
Paynesville — The Liberia Kickball Federation (LKF) has called off its planned official trip to Sierra Leone due to a lack of funding from both the government of Liberia (GoL) and private sector partners.
The Federation said it required at least $7,000 to take a delegation — including three kickball teams — to Sierra Leone for a regional exhibition, aimed at promoting Liberia’s homegrown sport and strengthening ties with neighboring countries. Despite extensive preparations and a formal request to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the necessary support was not secured.
“This is the first time the Kickball Federation has made a request to the government for financial support,” said LKF President Emmanuel Suprise Whea. “We deeply regret this postponement, as it was an important opportunity to showcase Liberian talent and promote our national sport, kickball, to the world.”
Whea said kickball has become a symbol of women’s strength, teamwork, and resilience in Liberia.
“It is a unifying force for Liberian youth and a source of national pride. We remain hopeful that with stronger support, this dream will be realized soon,” he said.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed receiving the LKF’s communication but said funding constraints prevented it from assisting.
“We received communication from the Federation, but as you may know, there are several competing priorities,” said Youth and Sports Minister Jeror Cole Bangalu. “Even the national team’s travel to Equatorial Guinea was a challenge.”
The LKF initially planned to send six teams to Sierra Leone for exhibition matches in Freetown and Bo, following four days of high-level talks with Sierra Leone’s National Sports Authority (NSA) earlier this year. A follow-up engagement between the NSA and LKF took place in Paynesville in September.
Due to budget limitations, the number of participating teams was reduced to three, but the trip was ultimately postponed. The Federation stressed that the trip has not been canceled entirely and that discussions with potential sponsors are ongoing to reschedule it.
Kickball, Liberia’s second most popular sport after football, is played primarily by women. It was introduced in 1964 by American Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson, who originally sought to teach girls baseball. When she realized they were better at kicking than hitting, kickball was born.
Since then, the sport has become a platform for educational advancement, with schools offering scholarships to talented female players. In 1994, a national kickball league was established, further solidifying the sport’s competitive structure and widespread popularity.
The Liberia Kickball Federation is appealing to the government, corporate institutions, and the public to invest in the international promotion of kickball and support young women athletes representing Liberia on and off the field.
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