By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has denied reports circulating in the public suggesting that the delayed 2023/2024 edition of the National County Sports Meet is set to commence on March 16, 2023 in Monrovia.
In recent times, many media institutions, especially on the different social handles, have been reporting that sources within the Ministry have set the new date to kick off the delayed version of the national sporting event that was postponed from its previous date of December 2023, because of the transitional process that took place in the country in January.
In a conversation with the Inquirer Newspaper Monday, February 19, 2024, the Communication Director of the Sports Ministry, P. Oxford Browne, said there is no fixed date set by the Ministry of Youth and Sports as relates to the competition’s kick off.
According to Browne, the information circulating on the internet that the 2023/2024 edition of the National County Sports Meet will kick off March 16 is a falsehood and should not be given credence or attention by the general public.
He said that a mandate to host the nation’s biggest and traditional sporting tournament exists, therefore, all efforts are underway to ensure that the delayed edition be hosted and successful as other past editions.
Browne asserted that the newly appointed and confirmed Minister has launched working operations with the technical team that is in charge of the competition at the entity to have all the necessary work surrounding the success of the upcoming county meet under control.
“The reports circulating on the internet about county meet kickoff being March 16, 2024 is not from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Ministry has not set any fixed date for the competition. We are working with the technical team to have the competition take place in due course,” he said.
He urged the public to await an official pronouncement from the government through the Ministry on the activities that will be announced in the coming days, noting that Minister Jeror Cole Bangalu will inform the country at the appropriate time.
In 2023, before the October 10 Presidential and General Elections, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with former Minister D. Zoegar Wilson, set December 16 of last year for the kickoff of the competition to take place in Fish Town, River Gee County. But to the surprise of many fans and lovers of the game, the event was postponed to time indefinite, on grounds that the new government requested to take charge of the competition through the new leadership of the Ministry.
