A delegation from the Liberia Kickball Federation (LKF), led by its President, Ambassador Emmanuel Whea, paid a courtesy visit to Sierra Leone’s Minister of Sports, Madam Augusta James-Teima, at her Bishop House office in Freetown. The visit aims to formally introduce and promote the sport of kickball in Sierra Leone.
Accompanying Ambassador Whea were key members of the delegation, including two female representatives and Steven Keifela, Director of Participation and Sustainable Sport at Sierra Leone’s National Sports Authority (NSA). Also present at the meeting was Deputy Minister of Sports, Kai Lawrence Mbayo.
A Shared Vision for Regional Sports and Culture
Ambassador Whea, speaking on behalf of the Liberian delegation, emphasized that the visit was more than a sports outreach; it was an effort to strengthen cultural and bilateral ties between the two Mano River Union countries.
“Today, we are here to see Liberia and Sierra Leone strengthen our bilateral relations and cultural exchange,” said Ambassador Whea. “We seek your indulgence and support to introduce Liberian traditional games so that we can share our culture and jointly present these games to the world.”
He expressed gratitude to the NSA for their warm reception and expressed hope that the collaboration would lead to kickball being elevated to a Mano River Union Games event in the near future.
“We are in Freetown to establish a partnership with the NSA and MoS for the promotion and development of kickball,” Whea added.
The Roots of Kickball in Liberia
Ambassador Whea also provided a brief but compelling history of the sport in Liberia. He credited its origins to Cherry Jackson, a Peace Corps volunteer who introduced the game in 1964 while teaching at a girls’ school in Monrovia. What began as a creative solution for girls excluded from sports eventually became a national tradition.
“When you’re a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,” Whea remarked. “The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together and contribute to the reconciliation process after Liberia’s civil war.”
Liberia now hosts annual national championships and features kickball in inter-ministerial games. It remains one of the few countries where kickball is a women-only professional sport.
Sierra Leone Minister of Sports: “We Will Make Kickball Thrive”
In her warm welcome, Minister of Sports Madam Augusta James-Teima assured the visiting delegation of Sierra Leone’s full support and hospitality.
“Welcome to Sierra Leone. Your security is assured. We are very happy to have you here,” she said. “I have worked in Liberia myself for four years before the war, so I know the value of the strong relationship between our two countries.”
Praising Cherry Jackson for her pioneering work, the Minister emphasized the broader developmental impact of sport. “Sport develops people physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. It’s no surprise that we accept kickball in Sierra Leone. As a Minister, I will give my full blessing.”
She called for grassroots development of the sport in schools, starting with teacher training workshops. “If we start from the grassroots, especially the schools, the teachers must be involved. Eventually, we’ll have clubs, a national team, and a thriving sport to brag about. Definitely, we will accept it and make it thrive in Sierra Leone,” she declared.
The Minister also encouraged reciprocal cultural sports exchange, suggesting that Sierra Leone could introduce traditional games in Liberia as well.
A Future of Sporting Unity
The Liberia Kickball Federation’s visit signals a renewed chapter in sports diplomacy and regional unity. With strong backing from both the Liberian delegation and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Sports, kickball could soon become a regional symbol of peace, empowerment, and cultural pride, especially for women and young girls across West Africa.
