Monrovia — The President of the Liberia Athletics Federation (LAF), Mulbah Zaza, has strongly criticized stories that athletics will probably be excluded from the upcoming 2025/2026 Nationwide County Sports activities Meet, calling it a continued marginalization of the game.
His feedback observe rising criticism of the County Meet’s construction, which has reportedly sidelined athletics for the previous 4 editions regardless of its worldwide success for Liberia. “We are saying we need to present short-term empowerment for younger folks and uncover new skills throughout the County Meet,” Zaza famous, “however we solely give attention to kickball and soccer.”
Billed as Liberia’s largest annual sporting occasion, the Nationwide County Sports activities Meet is meant to showcase multi-sport competitors and numerous youth expertise from all 15 counties.
Nonetheless, current editions have centered totally on soccer kickball and Basketball as the one different self-discipline.
Athletics, a sport that has produced Olympians, African medalists, and scholarship recipients, has reportedly been absent from the schedule.
With rumors swirling about one other exclusion for the upcoming version, Zaza expressed his frustration. “This is able to be the fifth straight County Meet with out athletics,” he mentioned. “It is unacceptable. Athletics isn’t just a sport it is a confirmed pathway to success for lots of of younger Liberians.”
Regardless of soccer receiving the vast majority of authorities consideration and funding, athletics has persistently introduced worldwide recognition to Liberia via occasions just like the Olympics, African Championships, and World Athletics championships.
Athletes akin to Welington Zaza, Ebony Morrison, and Joseph Fahnbulleh have competed on world levels.
In the meantime,quite a few aspiring runners prepare each day throughout Liberia with restricted sources and no nationwide platform.
“Athletics has introduced Liberia extra worldwide medals than another sport,” Zaza highlighted. “But we get no lane at our greatest native occasion? How is that honest?”
Zaza is advocating for a points-based scoring system on the County Meet, much like these utilized in regional and worldwide multi-sport tournaments.
Below such a system, counties would compete in varied sports activities, with general efficiency figuring out the winner, quite than simply the soccer closing.
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“Let each sport rely,” Zaza urged. “That manner, the County Meet can really replicate the spirit of inclusion and youth growth that it claims to advertise.”
Because the Ministry of Youth and Sports activities plans the 2025/2026 version, Zaza’s feedback underscore a perceived disconnect between the nation’s youth coverage objectives and their implementation.
“We’re not asking for hundreds of thousands or stadiums,” Zaza clarified. “We’re asking for a good shot. Give athletics a lane, and watch what these younger athletes can do.”
With growing public curiosity and calls from the sporting group, justifying the continued exclusion of athletics from Liberia’s “Nationwide” County Meet could show difficult. Zaza and others warn that with out reforms, the County Meet will stay, of their view, a soccer match in disguise.
When contacted for response to the information of a deliberate exclusion of Athletics from the upcoming County Meet Deputy Minister of Sports activities G. Andy Quamie mentioned a call has be taken. “No resolution has been made but, it can is determined by the supply of funds,” Andy Quamie mentioned.
