Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. With just days left before the African Dodgeball Championship kicks off in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone’s National Dodgeball Team is on the brink of a heartbreaking setback.
Despite months of preparation, unwavering commitment, and the hopes of a nation behind them, the team still lacks the critical funding and logistical support necessary to participate in the 2025 AFCON Dodgeball Tournament.
The event, scheduled for mid-August, is one of the continent’s most anticipated emerging sports tournaments—yet Sierra Leone risks missing out, not for lack of talent or effort, but because of financial constraints.
Training daily at the Attouga Mini Stadium in Freetown under minimal conditions, the team has continued to push forward against the odds. But as the tournament draws closer, their situation has become increasingly urgent.
“This is a national emergency for our sport,” said the team’s head coach. “We are out of time, and without immediate action—particularly from the Ministry of Sports, the National Sports Authority (NSA), and our corporate partners—our dreams will vanish.”
The Sierra Leone Dodgeball Federation has made repeated appeals to government authorities and private sponsors for support with travel, accommodation, registration fees, kits, feeding, medical care, and other essential costs. Unfortunately, those calls have gone largely unanswered.
“This is no longer a request. It’s a desperate plea,” said a federation spokesperson. “If nothing changes within the next few days, we will have no option but to withdraw. That would not just be a blow to these athletes—it would be a blow to national pride and youth development.”
After making a strong debut at the previous African Dodgeball Championship in Morocco, the team had high hopes of building on that success in Abidjan. The 2025 tournament could have marked a new chapter for Sierra Leone in the world of dodgeball, with the opportunity to raise the country’s sporting profile and inspire the next generation of athletes.
Instead, that opportunity is slipping away.
The Federation is now issuing an urgent final appeal to President Julius Maada Bio, the Ministry of Sports, NSA, corporate institutions, and the public to come to the team’s aid. They stress that time is of the essence and that every contribution—financial or material—can make a difference.
“This is a chance for Sierra Leone to show that we believe in our youth, in our potential, and in national representation on the global stage,” the coach added.
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