By S. Siapha Mulbah
The last hope of Liberians who originate or are residing in Gbarpolu county at the 2023/2024 National County Sports Meet has been paired in kickball to battle the defending champions Lofa County at the quarter-finals.
A meeting between two neighboring counties steeped in historical currents and cultural ties will unfold at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville City on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
The Wologizi girls, renowned for their consistent performance over the past three years in the County meet, are poised to lead by example in their title defense. A victory would boost their morale and also inspire the boys’ team.
However, the Belle girls face the weight of expectation from the entire Bopolu forest community, adding to the pressure on their shoulders.
Lofa maintains full representation in the competition as the county football and kickball teams have qualified from group D as table leaders. They secured this position by outscoring Margibi and Grand Bassa counties during the preliminary matches held in Kakata City last week.
The Kickball team in Green from Voinjama won against Margibi 1-0 and matched over Grand Bassa 2-1 to get a space at the SKD.
Gbarpolu fought to seal its two teams through the preliminaries in Monrovia but did not achieve such because the boys of Bomi and Montserrado counties topped group C in football to get to the quarterfinal.
In Kickball the Belle girls won 2-1 against Montserrado and made several homeruns against Bomi and Grand Cape Mount who both defeated them in their last two games. They qualified over Cape Mount with even points and home runs in favor of advantage.
Sports enthusiasts and supporters of the Cunty Meet are conveying that the boys and girls of Lofa County are approaching the quarterfinal matches with high-spirited motivation. Meanwhile, single-representation counties will need to secure victories to advance.
