Bangalu
Cole Addresses Swal's Forum
May 5, 2004
Monrovia
On Friday, the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) held the
April's edition of the Herbert Grisby Memorial Lecture Forum at its
Broad Street Offices. During the forum, discussants, Hon. J. Cole
Bangalu and Hon. Malikee Dukuly called for the overhauling of the
local football house.
Here is the full text of Hon. Bangalu's address.
Distinguished Sportsmen and Women;
Fellow Soccer Enthusiasts and Supporters:
Upon receipt of the invitation extended from the Sports Writers
Association (SWAL), requesting me to share my ideas on the way
forward for the development of soccer or officially association in
the country, I was engulfed with mix-feelings considering and
especially looking back at yesteryears' progress and its impact were
it not for the 14 years of digression which affected the development
of sports across the country, particularly the administration of
Association Football by the Liberia Football Association (LFA), and
the state of soccer nationally.
INTRODUCTION: Today, it is almost 3 scores and 10 years since the
founding of the Liberia Football Association, the organization
responsible for soccer and the development of the game and related
activities in the country.
-Soccer as it is commonly called, to distinguish it from American
football and rugby, is the most popular of all team sports invented
in England. The word is said to be a peculiar British variant of
association from the games official name association football.
-In Liberia, football or soccer is the most popular sports among the
young and adults. The national team "Liberia Lone Star" which is the
country's flag-bearer in international encounters and/or
competitions, enjoys popular support among men, women, and children,
including vulnerable and other disadvantaged groups.
-Support for soccer teams cross family, ethnic, sectarian, religious
lines and even social strata.
-During the civil conflict, football became a useful tool to promote
re-integration and reconciliation, and offered a good footing for
enhancing national reconciliation in post-conflict Liberia.
-And so, for all intents and purposes, football or soccer is a
unifying force which incites and excites passions of patriotism and
nationalism in the country and engender a sense of belonging as a
Liberian.
-I'll like to thank SWAL for the invitation and the opportunity to
address this intellectual memorial forum under the topic: ADVANCING
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF FOOTBALL IN LIBERIA AS THE
COUNTRY MOVES FROM TRANSITION TO ELECTIONS: I'll like to phrase the
last part by your permission, though not so differently but rather,
"AS THE COUNTRY TRANSIT FROM RECOVERY TO RECONSTRUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT".
-This is so, because it is better to plan for a process instead of
an event as "transition to elections" would suggest. It is only a
supposition since indeed we seemed to be gearing up ourselves for
elections instead of disarmament, a necessary pre-requisite for
peace and ensuring stability leading to elections. It also suggests
misplaced priorities!
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS: Over the years, and during the period of the
1980's and prior to the civil conflict, the game of soccer made
significant strides. It altered perceptions as being an
under-privileged or working-class or low-level social strata sports
and players as social miscreants and/or mere entertainers.
"Though the engagement in continental competitions by national club
sides were lackluster, there was significant improvement especially
when national county meets became competitive and regional clubs
gained access to national league rankings.
"New patterns and trends in the game and exposure provided for
players and administrators facilitated improvements and enhanced the
development of soccer particularly with the involvement of the
highest authority of Government and State.
"The Liberia National Lone Star distinguished itself at
international levels and became a formidable force to reckon with.
EFFECTS OF THE CIVIL CONFLICT AND THE WAY FORWARD: It is no denying
that our national experience over the last decade and a half or so
has been tragic and highly devastating in the intensity of the
violence and destruction which occurred.
-This has affected every facet of life and Liberians now live a
traumatic life which calls for a counselling-soothing effect for
detraumatization.
-It is also no denying that in the midst of the destruction which
ensued, an opportunity is offered for the rethinking and reshaping
of priorities and refocusing of directions especially the need to
reconstruct and rehabilitate.
-For us in football circles, this calls for the putting in place of
appropriate mechanisms and methodology for enhancing the development
of football or soccer through broad-based participation and
involvement of individuals, groups, communities, and institutions
into the administration and management of the game of football in
the country.
-The game has undergone lots of experiences yet, its administration
and management by the Liberia Football Association as it stands
lives much to be desired, and hence, the need for reform.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ENHANCING FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT: Distinguished
personalities and soccer lovers, there is the need for reform in
association football in Liberia so as to engender profound and
substantive changes and improvement in the following:
Leadership structure/organization of the
LFA.
-Organization and promotion of the game.
-Club empowerment and players welfare.
-Football infrastructural development/facilities.
-Investment incentives and self-reliance and sustainability.
-Accordingly, I wish to draw attention to the LFA Statutes Article
V: Section 5.9. relative to eligibility for Executive Committee
positions.
This clause I believe should be removed in order to make accession
to the FA leadership through an inclusive process to permit the
participation and input of sport/soccer lovers whose leadership
could make significant impact in the development of the game through
the effective and efficient management of the LFA.
-This requires a review of the national football statutes by
Congress for the possible repeal and/or amendment in the rules for
the reforms needed. Perhaps, a special committee can be set up at
the end of the make a presentation to a special session of the
football congress.
-I also believe that a more decentralized, systematic, and organized
implementation of a program for post-conflict reconstruction will
ultimately enhance the promotion of the game at local/community,
regional, and national levels through competitions which facilitate
effective participation of youth and other age-group level and
female soccer.
-The absence or lack of adequate football infrastructure and
facilities across the country is a potential impediment to the
development of the game inspite of any progress achieved in
standards. Hence, the participation of stakeholders in sports should
be solicited in evolving plans for increasing and improving football
infrastructure and facilities within the political sub-divisions of
the country.
-Soccer-lovers, the LFA has come of age and circumstances dictated
by improvement in the development of the game universally demand
that the national football house should by now become self-reliant.
Certainly, it is under obligation to begin the formulation of plans
for investment/participation in business ventures to source and
mobilise resources needed to make the administration and management
of football a sustainable and viable venture.
-Such an undertaking will impact positively as it will have a
transformative effect such that an enabling environment will be
engendered for the empowerment and strengthening of local clubs, and
which consequently will lead toward improving the welfare and lot of
players.
-There are two important benefits that I see will emerge:
-The opportunity for semi-professionalism
-Group inputs and/or input/participation or stakeholders and the
lessening of burden shouldering by few individuals/personalities and
strains on their coffers.
-Distinguished personalities, soccer-lovers, and friends of
association football, we, today, have the opportunity to put our
feet-down and put our right-foot forward in taking steps necessary
to meet the challenges presented by circumstances in order to
enhance the development of football in our country.
-I believe we can do it, if only we mean what we say, and do what we
say and mean. Now is the time to do it for the future.
-Thank you!
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