Monrovia – In the wake of the many controversies surrounding in the National County Sports Meet, Liberia Football Association (LFA) president Mustapha Raji is calling on the Ministry of Youth and Sports to turn over the operations of the National County Sports Meet to sporting federations and associations.
Raji said the football category of the Sporting festival should be given to LFA, basketball to the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) and so on.
Appearing on Truth FM 96.1 FM ‘Sports Talk’ over the weekend, Raji said if it’s done, the true intent of the County Meet will be realized.
“In order for us to have this county meet moving in the right direction, you need to have it under the supervision of the football association, the basketball association and so on.”
“If you pass the county meet to us, you won’t see the superintendents for example sitting on the team’s bench. We will apply the laws of the game’” he said.
The LFA President further noted that the date of the County Meet will also be changed to give chance to players in school and those in contract with clubs to participate freely without complaint.
“Who is developing these players, where are they coming from, they come from the clubs. How much support do we get, we don’t get support. Clubs have complained to the LFA that their players leave for county meet, which drops their performances,” he said.
“Let us look at rescheduling the County Meet. Let look at bringing it from December to July, when the leagues are closed, when schools are closed,” he said.
Commenting on whether the County Meet should be turned into the national league, Raji said it will be a challenging venture, but believe it can be possible with huge financial support.
“Maybe we can make the county meet a super league, or a premiere league where the legislature will approve something like US$2M; this will be good.”
Raji is of the conviction that those at the Sports Ministry, the superintendents, as well as legislators will see the need to support the agenda.
“We hope that those at the Ministry, the superintendents, the representatives will see the need to support this agenda.
“A kid from Grand Gedeh should be given the opportunity to represent the county, instead of a kid imported from Montserrado,” he added.