December 11, 2015 By Sahr Morris Jr.
The Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA) on Thursday announced that the long awaiting elective congress will now be held on Tuesday, 15 December, 2015 at the Atlantic Hall of National Stadium in Freetown.
The announcement of a new congress date came almost a week after the world athletics federation, IAAF, gave the SLAA executive mandate to organise an elective congress on or before 30 December, 2015 who risk consequences.
The IAAF instruction for congress also followed their refusal to recognise the ‘Legitimate Stakeholders’ elected executive.
However, the 15 December date was finally agreed by both parties (members of the Palo Conteh faction and the current Abdul Karim led executive) – in Wednesday’s meeting with Director of Sports, Ibrahim Bangura.
The new congress date semms to be the final move to solve the impasse in athletics in the country as stakeholders will final have the opportunity to vote individuals that will run the affairs of the association until 2019.
It could be recalled that congress was slated to have been held earlier but the Ministry of Sports postponed the event indefinitely in order to give the association enough time to resolve their in-house dispute by identifying the real stakeholders (delegates), which has been one of the key problems.