Members of the Liberia National Handball Association (LNHA) have inducted officials elected in the 2023 assembly after the just ended elective congress at the Harbel Multilateral High School in Margibi County.
Those elected by the body during the congress are to steer the affairs of the Association with the expected governance and leadership demonstration for the next six years when another elective congress will be held.
Majority of those elected to the leadership of the local handball association had served the body in their present or other capacities and were all given the extension of their contracts on white ballots in all positions.
The inductees are J. Aratus Larkpor, the president who took the body to congress as presiding after serving as interim president from 2021; Varney Kawah, Vice president for Administration as well as Samuel A. Hasay, Vice president for Operation. Hasay before his election served as the public relations officer of the association.
Hadji Musa A. Sesay was elected as Secretary General alongside Deborah G. Hiama as the national treasurer.
Speaking at the induction ceremony, the newly elected president, J. Aratus Larkpor, reiterated his commitment to improving the welfare of the Association.
Larkpor explained that he believes in the cycle of collective work that had been done over the past and further said they are going to work together in every direction to make sure that handball takes a place in Liberian sports as had been done over the last four years.
Larkpor noted that when he took office in 2021 as an interim president, he was working seriously to end the tenure of the previous president.
The newly elected president added that due to his leadership ability, he and his team are trusted with the confident that they can do more.
According to him, he believes in the confident reposed in him thus vowing not to let down what he has entrusted with and that he will do everything in his power collectively to making sure their goals are achieved.
He emphasized that few years back they were not part of the commonwealth but now they are part, assuring that his leadership is still going to work hard to make sure that Liberia gets in the Mano River Union Handball.
“We will work with all of the schools because we believe that schools development is going to create jobs for players. We need more players, referees, coaches and more clubs so we are grateful for today, and we promise you that your effort will not go beyond your expectation,” he asserted.
Also speaking, Deputy Minister for Youth & Sports, Andy G. Quamie thanked the former president and members of the former executive committee of the Liberia Handball Federation for the steps taken, adding that handball is not as big as basketball, football, volleyball and kickball in Liberia but growing by the day.
Quamie said the handball federation is a small federation but can be made big, narrating that when Nelson Mandela made history, he did not know that the rest of South Africa was going to show.
Minister Quamie appealed to the newly elected leadership of the Liberia National Handball Association to reach out and see how to make peace with the association’s founder Nelson Sarwolo no matter what happened.
“I am appealing as head of the centre to reach out to him and make peace so that together every one of us can help to grow the Liberia federation,” he said.
However, the Deputy Minister for Sports explained that he was very excited to hear this year that they participated in three to four international tournaments and urged the new leadership not to just depend on government but to connect themselves with their international partners and international organizations.
