By S. Siapha Mulbah
The development of amputee football in Liberia faces significant challenges due to insufficient budgetary allocations.
The Liberia Amputee Football and Sports Association (LAFASA) has struggled with inadequate funding, which hampers its ability to effectively manage programs and support its national team.
Over the past three years, LAFASA’s annual budget has not exceeded US$5,000, despite the association maintaining an active national team that competes in numerous international tournaments.
In the 2024 national budget, only US$3,500 was allocated for the association’s operations. According to Richard Duo, Vice president of LAFASA, this funding is insufficient to support the amputee national team and other initiatives aimed at empowering individuals with amputations.
Duo described the allocation as both poor and detrimental to the progress of sports development in Liberia. Before the Ebola outbreak, LAFASA received US$50,000 annually from the government, an amount that was already deemed inadequate.
However, during the epidemic, the budget was slashed to US$12,000. Under the current administration of President George Weah, the budget has been further reduced to US$3,500.
Duo emphasized that the federation has developed comprehensive programs to enhance the lives of amputee footballers, but the lack of funding has stymied these efforts.
The current budget does not cover the federation’s operational costs, let alone the needs of the teams and players.
LAFASA must pay annual participation fees to international bodies to maintain eligibility for competitions such as the Amputee World Cup and the Amputee African Cup of Nations.
These fees often go unpaid due to the financial constraints faced by the federation.
To participate in international events, players and officials frequently have to seek financial assistance from government offices, a process that often results in delayed support and subpar preparation for competitions.
This lack of timely funding has adversely affected the team’s performance.
Reflecting on past successes, Duo noted that during former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration, the amputee team received substantial support, leading to three consecutive African Cup of Nations titles.
The current lack of support stands in stark contrast to those years of achievement. Duo called on the government and relevant stakeholders to increase financial support for amputee football to enable the association to continue its valuable work in promoting sports and inclusion for people with disabilities.
