Published: October 9, 2024
Ganta — The Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) concluded a day-long symposium at the Ganta Youth Recreation Center in Nimba County over the weekend.
The symposium, the first of its kind for sports journalists, was held in collaboration with the SWAL Nimba County chapter. It brought together sports journalists from Nimba and Margibi Counties, along with key SWAL executives. Attendees included SWAL President Varmah Amara Kamara, Secretary General Edwin T. K. Dolo, Assistant Secretary General Jerome C. Willie, Jr., and Margibi County Assistant Coordinator Ezekiel McGill, among others.
In his keynote address, SWAL President Varmah Kamara emphasized the need to decentralize the organization across the country. Despite the challenges, Kamara highlighted SWAL’s vital role in promoting and developing sports in Liberia, urging sports journalists to unite for more effective and quality reporting.
Kamara stressed, “In our quest for change, all sports journalists, whether in Monrovia or rural areas, must view this organization as a fraternity for all, not just a Monrovia-based association. That’s the only way we will succeed together.”
He also challenged sports journalists to prioritize covering local content rather than focusing on foreign stories, stating that Liberia’s 22 sporting federations offer ample materials for sports reporting across platforms and counties.
“We cannot continue to promote foreign content when we have over 22 sporting federations. These are enough disciplines to provide stories and articles for our various sports programs,” Kamara said.
SWAL Secretary General Edwin Dolo encouraged sports journalists from rural areas to take advantage of the association’s membership process. Dolo revealed that a digital membership tracking system is being introduced, warning that sports journalists who fail to apply will not be recognized or accredited for national sporting events.
Nimba County Grievance Committee Chairman of the Liberia Football Association, Benedict Momo Morris, and Inter-school Sports Association Chairman Otis Winyoe Gee praised the symposium, calling it a welcome initiative. Both men commended Nimba’s sports journalists for their exceptional work and noted that such programs will further empower them to contribute to both county and national sports.
SWAL Nimba County Coordinator, Nathaniel Success Tokpah, described the symposium as a major milestone in building the capacity, networking, and camaraderie of sports journalists in the region. Tokpah urged other counties to undertake similar initiatives to advance SWAL’s decentralization agenda.
He expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the success of the program, especially the Margibi sports journalists who traveled long distances to participate. Tokpah also acknowledged the efforts of Nimba Chapter’s Assistant Coordinator Princeton G. Quiah, Secretary General Gonkarnue Lawrence Tuopleye, and other local members for their contributions to making the first symposium a success.
The event concluded with a friendly football match between SWAL Margibi and SWAL Nimba at the United Methodist football pitch in Ganta. SWAL Margibi narrowly defeated SWAL Nimba 2-1 after the hosts missed a crucial penalty late in the second half, adding an exciting climax to the day’s activities.
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