MONROVIA – Abraham Kallon, a rising star in Liberian weightlifting, has secured a bronze medal at the 4th edition of the African Youth Games held in Luanda, Angola.
By A. Macaulay Sombai, [email protected]
The achievement marks a significant milestone for Liberia’s participation in the mid-January 2026 games, providing a podium finish for the country in continental competition.
Speaking upon his return, the President of the Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC), Cllr. Sylvester Rennie confirmed that Kallon clinched the medal after a hard-fought third-place finish.
While Liberia was represented across five disciplines: Tennis, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, and Track and Field, Kallon was the sole athlete to bring home silverware.
Strengthening Technical Capacity
Cllr. Rennie emphasized that Kallon’s success underscores the need for continuous investment in local talent.
He noted that the LNOC is shifting its focus toward providing advanced training opportunities for coaches and athletes under various individual sports federations.
“As I have stated previously, we are preparing to provide training opportunities for athletes under individual sports federations and associations in Liberia,” Cllr. Rennie said.
Following a successful technical course for the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) in 2025, the LNOC president revealed an ambitious plan for 2026.
“This year, we intend to host four technical courses for coaches from four different federations: the Liberia Volleyball Federation (LVF), Liberia Taekwondo Federation (LTF), Liberia Tennis Association (LTA), and the Liberia National Handball Association (LNHA).”
International Engagements and Climate Sustainability
The LNOC delegation, include Secretary General Mr. Samuel Ahmed Tukpah, who also attended the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).
During the assembly, Mustapha Berraf was re-elected as President of ANOCA.
A key highlight of the continental meeting was the Sustainability Environment Conference (SEC). Cllr. Rennie explained that the LNOC, in collaboration with ANOCA and Olympic Solidarity, is working on a framework to ensure sporting activities remain viable despite the challenges posed by climate change.
“We are looking at how we can put programs together for the climate change period to ensure that sports continue to be played safely and consistently,” Rennie added.
The delegation also observed Liberian student-athletes participating in the African School Games, an ANOCA-organized initiative held in Algiers, Algeria, aimed at fostering grassroots development across the continent.
Despite the lack of medals in Tennis and Taekwondo during this outing, the LNOC leadership remains optimistic that the upcoming technical courses will bridge the performance gap in future international competitions.
