Monrovia – Stakeholders of Liberia Kickball Federation (LKF) have elected Emmanuel Surprise Whea as president of the federation.
Report by Christopher C. Walker, [email protected]
The former Angels of the Sky’s (ASK Sisters) vice president defeated incumbent president, J. Youver Kollie, in a very tight race.
Whea collected 24 of the 43 valid votes to be crowned winner of the sporting federation, which is Liberia’s own sport.
Whea had been Assistant Secretary-General for the LKF for the past 12 months just before Saturday’s polls, which he won.
This result ended J. Youver Kollie’s eight-year reign as president of the LKF.
Emmanuel S. Whea, who is outgoing chairman for the Grand Bassa County Sports Association, might have been able to win one of kickball’s powerful names from the platform he presented. However, the eagerness for change in leadership in Liberia has been high since last year’s national election that saw George Weah becoming the first retired athlete to win his nation’s presidency.
Whea outlined five key priorities in his agenda for the growth and advancement for Kickball. These outlines might have caught the interests of many of the stakeholders just as they went to the poll to cast their votes.
Some of the issues highlighted in his platform were also outlined in the incumbent’s platform. Like the issue of home for the LFA, decentralization of the sport, improvement of the national league and constitution reform were highlighted by both candidates in their platform.
Also, Whea put up as Vice President for Administration Solomon Ward, who succeeded in defeating the only female senior executive of the federation, Amie Wesseh.
Wards’ victory over Amie was the most shocking result at the polls on Saturday as early indicators had shown that he was second favorite. The other positions were all won on white ballots. Evan Somah was retained as vice president for Operations; he had no challenger. It was also the same for the longest serving Secretary General Milton Padmore, who retained his post on white ballot.
Abu Fofana, won the Assistant Secretary-General position on white ballot. Surprise Whea and the new team of LKF Executives will run kickball for the next four years in keeping with sport statutes.
The defeat of Amie Wesseh as Vice President for Administration has risen the debate about support to women to take over the leadership of the LKF. The sport is played by women, but the administration of the game continues to be controlled by men, who do not play the sport.
Coaches for the game are all males, while there are only four female referees amongst the more than 20 men officiating, the sport.
Speaking to reporters after his victory, Whea said it is time to unite as one for the forward match of the sports.