Liberia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced the official launch of the 2020/2021 County Meet. The league is expected to begin on January 9th at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) with premier sponsorship from Orange Liberia. Officially launching the County Meet at a major press conference held at the Samuel Kanyan Does Sports Statement in Paynesville on Thursday, Minister of Youth & Sports Honorable Dester Zeogar Wilson thanked Orange for its support for the various sporting activities in Liberia including the company’s long standing support of the Liberia Football Association and the Liberia Basketball Association. Said Minister Wilson: “we thank Orange for its tremendous support to the government of Liberia and sports in general.” He intimated that the support from Orange was crucial for the successful implementation of the County Meet.
The Minister of Youth and Sports was joined by the Minister of Internal Affairs Hon. Varney Sirleaf, who referred to the event as Liberia’s great unifier. Minister Sirleaf said that the hosting of the county meet was essential to helping to foster unity and togetherness amongst Liberia’s 15 political subdivisions. He stated that the county meet went beyond being a sports event and extended into a true and effective tool for promoting unity and reconciliation across Liberia.
Orange Liberia’s Director of Legal and Governmental Affairs Mr. Supu Cole Sr. proxied for CEO Jean Marius Yao. Mr. Yao reassured the Ministry of Orange Liberia’s continued commitment to the success of the County Meet. He highlighted Orange Liberia’s long history of supporting football in Liberia and stated that Orange would continue to work alongside the Ministry and Government of Liberia to ensure that Liberia could become a football powerhouse in Africa.
Buttressing the CEO, the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Orange Liberia Mr. Julien Paquier said that Orange would ensure broadcast of the county meet across a wide range of platforms to ensure that fans could fully enjoy the games remotely. He said that Orange would unveil other promotions as the official league dates drew closer.
The County meet is one of the most heavily anticipated sports events in Liberia with its final matches drawing thousands of fans from across the county. The Minister of Youth & Sports however stated that this year’s league would be held under strict health protocols including limiting the number of spectators in the stadium and imposing a mandatory requirement for fans to have a mask to enter various stadiums. “No mask means no entry,” concluded Minister Wilson.