— Dr Saffa Abdulai, NSA Boss
The Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, has said that African traditional games and sports require preservative attention as they are a part of Africans’ heritage.
He made this statement on Wednesday, 14th August, 2024, while launching the Secretariat of the African Traditional Sports and Games Confederation and unveiling the official logo of the Games’ first edition to be hosted in Namibia in 2026.
The launch, hosted at the conference room of the Tourism Ministry, coincided with the celebration of the International Day of Traditional Sports and Games. The idea is to preserve African culture and harmonize the continent through common values.
Welcoming all, the Deputy Executive Director of NSA, Dr. Abdul Rahman Swaray, said the traditional games will unite African Continent, representing the diverse, rich cultures there are in its fold.
While the President of the African Traditional Sports and Games Confederation, Michael Shamsu Mustapha, was speaking, he said hosting the headquarters of the Games in Sierra Leone comes with a number of benefits. “When projects are rolled out, Sierra Leone will not be left out. The Secretariat needs staff, which means it can create employment. Another point is that we are open to the opportunity of hosting the Games. This will attract tourism,” he explained.
On the basis of commitment, President Mustapha called on all to ensure that the traditional games inherited are passed on to the next generation. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that they are documented and promoted. One way to do this is to incorporate the games into the school PHE curriculum,” he added.
To sustain its function, Chief Mustapha revealed that Gabon and other governments are ready to provide financial support to the Secretariat, expressing his commitment to making his eight-year term meaningful.
Representing the Minister of Sport, Director of Sport Haroun Korji encouraged all to embrace the initiative as it promotes social interaction.
At the highpoint, NSA’s Dr. Saffa Abdulai described the launch as an important milestone for Africa. “It is the first time Africans have come together to celebrate their own traditional games and sports,” he said, informing all that they will be in Zimbabwe this November to discuss Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the 2028 equivalent of the Traditional Sports and Games.
“This move means that Sierra Leone is providing leadership.
“Six months to the Games’ first edition in Namibia, We will move a substantial number of staff members to that country to oversee preparation,” he told journalists, thanking the Tourism Ministry for the collaboration in seeing sports grow.
On being unique at the NSA, Dr. Abdulai said they want to do things that have never been done. “This initiative is one. If steps are not taken, our traditional games will be wiped out. I therefore want us to own this idea and make it a project that history will remember,” he pointed out, citing efforts to standardize the African traditional games as pivotal.
“In all of this, the aim is to provide jobs for young people and bring meaning to their lives,” he surmised.
The press conference was climaxed with the unveiling of the logo for Namibia 2026 and the launching of the Secretariat.