Monrovia – Liberia’s newest sporting federation, the Liberia National Teqball Federation (LNTF) has completed its first technical workshop in the country aimed at providing hands-on technical knowledge about the sport.
The training session on Teqball brought together several stakeholders in the sporting sector of the country and was held at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex gymnasium on Wednesday.
The objectives of the one-day workshop, according to the founder of the sport in Liberia Musa Shannon, was to provide broader understanding on Teqball operations, rules and technical activities; refresh and technically equip the participants including coaches, technical directors and referees respectively.
Speaking at the opening of the training Shannon said “This workshop is focused on building the technical capacity of a new contingent of technical personnel in promoting TEQBALL across the country.”
“This approach is geared towards raising a group of TEQBALL’s tacticians who will serve in various technical capacities in helping to promote the expansion of the sport in Liberia. The rationale behind the one-day technical workshop hinges on the possibility of preparing and producing the next biggest TEQBALL talent in West Africa. With the distribution of teqball-boards still ongoing, he added.
“LNTF seeks to equip and train technicians who will thereafter serve in various capacities as trainers, coaches, and referees amongst others,” the former Liberian international footballer said.
Giving a history of the sport in Liberia Shannon said Teqball was founded on March 23, 2020 with the intention of introducing a new sport to excite the younger generation and provide an alternative for talented footballers.
The sport is played in 33 countries in Africa with Liberia being the 13th in Africa.
He disclosed that the goals of LNTF is to inspire players with dedication and constancy that leads to excellence.
“We will work hard to produce some of the best players and clubs in the world and allow them to showcase their talents domestically, regional, and on the world stage,” Shannon told the participants.
The LNTF’s founder also iterated that Liberia could form part of the next FITEQ World Championship, and therefore indicated that he would be very proud to see Liberia produce the next biggest TEQBALL talent on the continent.
The LNTF also believes that the educative initiative will enhance the ongoing visibility campaign initiated by the federation.
Participants at the one-day technical workshop were drawn from various club teams in addition to representatives from ISSA, Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL), LNOC, Paralympics and former
National Team Players respectively.
For his part, Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson said the Ministry is happy to work with the Teqball federation.
“We are a Ministry of Youth and Sports with an s and not sport because people feel only football we look at is not true. We look at all of the federations and I am happy we have the newest generation on board the Teqball federation. We stand ready to support you anytime,” Minister Wilson said.
He urged the LNTF to take the sport to the schools in order to get more kids gaining interest in the sport.
According to minister Wilson the kids in the various schools will be happy to have such sport on their campus.
In a way of supporting Teqball in the Country Minister Wilson said the SKD gymnasium will be provided to the LNTF when needed to have its games and activities.
Also making remarks the president of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia Kolubah Zayzay termed the introduction of Teqball in Liberia as another avenue for sports journalists to run with and color their reporting because it is only football, Kickball and basketball that is reported on mostly.
According to the SWAL President his members are hungry to report on other sports but the federations don’t have many activities which make reporters to be seen as only football reporters.
“The sports journalists will be very much happy for Mr. Shannon to cover your event, we are not just football writers but the other federations have made us look like football writers because the other federations don’t have activities” Mr.Zayzay said.
He said if Liberia can embrace teqball it will serve as another opening for young talented players in the country.
He also pledged SWAL commandment in promoting the workings of the sport in Liberia.
LNTF is the newest sporting federation in Liberia. The federation was established in 2020 with the hope of using the sport to empower and create employment opportunities for talented and passionate young Liberians.
Liberia is the 13th Country in Africa to have established a TEQBALL Federation.
TEQBALL is a football-based sport played on a specially-curved table. It was established in 2021 in Budapest, Hungary where it’s head office is currently based.
FITEQ, the international parent body of Teqball has already hosted three world championships organized in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
