Gov’t Earmarks US$2.4m for Lonestar -Pledges US$300,000 for Ongoing World Cup, CAN Campaigns

Written by Leroy M. Sonpon, III
leroysonpon@yahoo.com
 (231-886-585875)

 Tuesday, 29 May 2012
 
Reports emanating from the Budget Section of the Ministry of Finance states, that the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Government, will for first time, allocate million dollars, for the development of football in the country, in the pending 2012/2013 Fiscal Budget.

The Report insinuated that about US$2.4 million has been set aside, for the advancement and promotion of both the male and female categories of the most popular game (soccer/football), at all levels or ages.

The source of the reports failed to give detail as to whether the US$2.4 will be directly given to the Liberia Football Association (LFA) or football facilities be erected.

The reports stated that the Government of Liberia, intend to use football to lift Liberians, who about 200,000 are actively involved, and as well as to serve as encourage to the younger boys and girls to make football their careers.

When our reporter asked the Co-Chairman on the House Committee on Sports, Representative Solomon George, he noted that he cannot comment of the Government support to football or any sports, because he has not seen the budget, owing to the fact that Executive Branch is yet to submit the budget to the National Legislature.

When asked Lewis Konoe, a senior officer of the Media Service of Finance Ministry, he confirmed Government’s support to the development of sports, including football, but failed to commend on the exact amount.

When contacted the President of the LFA, Musa Bility, as to whether he is aware of Government’s US$2.4million support to football, he neither confirm nor deny, but promise to get to Daily Observer Sports next week.

For his part, the Chairman of Premier Board of the LFA, Andy Quarmie, said the US$2.4million to support football is a welcoming idea, but stated that in order for government to address the issue of construction of sports facilities in the country, there is a need for the general support to sports, be at least US$10 million.

Meanwhile, the LFA boss Musas Bility, told the Daily Observer Sports that the Government of Liberia has pledged US$300,000 out of the US$600,000 budget, to support the Senior national football team’s pursuit in the 2014 World Cup and the 2013 African Cup of Nations, qualifiers.

Mr. Bility also disclosed that the remaining US$300,000 will be provided by the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) and its sponsor, Cellcom GSM.

Most football enthusiasts believed that the financial assistance of NOCAL to the Lonestar, is owing to the active involvement of sports by the chairman of NOCAL, Robert Sirleaf.

Mr. Sirleaf is the sponsor of premier outfit Barrack Young Controller and the founder of Barrack Young Controller II.

The Lonestar under the watchful eyes of newly appointed coach, J. Kaytu Smith, will lock horns with the Lions of Teranga in the Senegalese capital Dakar, on June 2, which is a debut derby on the road to 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

In the same June, the red-blue-and-white boys will go a long way to determine who qualifies from a group that against fast-improving Angola, and will play Namibia in her return-leg in the 2013 African Cup of Nations campaign. A win away will place Liberia in a zone if the 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier.