ArcelorMittal Liberia on Monday 14 November replaced Orange Liberia as the new prime sponsor of Liberia’s biggest sporting event, the National County Sports Meet.
At the unveiling ceremony held at the Royal Grand Hotel by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), the organizer of the event, the Minister of Youths and Sports, D. Zeogar Wilson, disclosed that the sponsorship deal is worth two hundred seventy-five thousand United States dollars US$275,000.
According to Minister Wilson, out of the US$275,000, the MYS will receive US$250,000, while the balance US$25,000 will be divided between Nimba, Bong and Grand Bassa Counties, where ArcelorMittal Liberia operates.
He disclosed Nimba County will receive US$ 10.000 while Bong and Grand Bassa Counties will get seven thousand five hundred respectively. He said the gesture is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to the three counties, while each of the remaining 13 counties will receive five thousand United States dollars each as sponsorship money for the month-long sporting festival.
Minister Wilson termed the signing ceremony as a historical day for the national county sports meet because two years ago they engaged Arcelormittal Liberia for sponsorship but were told they could only provide sponsorship to the three operating counties.
“We engaged them last year and they provided us one hundred twenty thousand United States dollars and with our discussion with them they decided to take a giant step so today is my honoured along with my colleagues to official announce to the Republic of Liberia that Arcelormittal Liberia is the headline sponsor of the 2022/2023 edition of the national county sports meet.”
The MYS boss further stated that Orange Liberia remains a very good partner and sponsor of the County Meet, but ArcelorMittal Liberia is this year’s Prime Sponsor.
He congratulated AML for coming in as headline sponsor and promised to promote the company at all of the games venue in the counties and at the SKD Sports Complex for the quarter finals, semi-finals and grand final.
Also speaking at the signing ceremony, Arcelor Mittal Liberia’s chief executive officer, Jozephus Cownen, said sports is a tool that unites people so they are happy to be a part of an event that unites Liberians.
“Today’s event, unveiling our headline support to the National County Sports Meet ─ the biggest sporting event in Liberia, signifies another milestone that accentuates the strong partnership between ArcelorMittal and the people of Liberia,”. he said.
He told the gathering that the theme of the 2022/2023 edition which is “Liberia a nation celebrating 200 years of existence maintaining the peace through the women’s sports participation” aligns with ArcelorMittal’s long history of support and commitment to activities that promote peace and unity, national reconciliation, and development.
“We celebrate our contributions to the National County Sports Meet and can confidently say, we too are ‘County Meet’ Champions through the pride brought by Grand Bassa, Bong, and Nimba Counties when they became champions.”
“We have witnessed over the years, the tremendous impact of sports in bringing all of us together as a nation and people. “Whether it is being a gold sponsor of last year’s county meet, or providing funds for the preparation of our three counties, or even being a major sponsor of the Liberia Marathon and District Leagues in Bong, Nimba and Grand Bassa Counties, ArcelorMittal has strongly supported the advance of sporting activities around Liberia.”
“Let me, on behalf of the management and staff of ArcelorMittal Liberia, commend Minister Wilson and his team for the honor bestowed on ArcelorMittal Liberia to be the sponsor of this year’s National County Sports Meet. We consider this a testament to our mutual and beneficial relationship with the Government and people of Liberia.
“Congratulations, again, Minister Wilson and the team as we wish you a very successful and colourful National County Sports Meet 2022-2023,” he added.
In addition to the US$120,000 provided last year county meet , ArcelorMittal Liberia also gave US$5,000 each to Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa Counties to support their teams’ participation in the National County Sports Meet.
The National County Meet will kick-off on December 17, 2022, with the opening match taking place in the port city of Buchanan Grand Bassa County.
Minister Wilson Wants Unity In Taekwondo Federation
Monrovia-Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson has called on the new leadership of the Liberia Taekwondo Federation (LTF) to reawaken the spirit of unity within the federation.
Minister Wilson, speaking at the induction ceremony of the Taekwondo new leadership, said it’s time for the federation members to forget the past and work together for the betterment of the sports in Liberia.
Minster Wilson first congratulated Master Junior Pewee Russian for the effort made in putting Liberia on the map of Taekwondo.
According to Minster Wilson, when he was appointed as Minister of Youth and Sports, Master Pewee Russian was one of those who approached him to help solve the problem with in the LTF.
“I believed over 25 years ago when I served as Assistant Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Youth and Sports , Master Russian was in this Taekwondo and Karate business and he used to train under our Newport Street office at the time, so am a living testimony of the commitment he has for Taekwondo and I hope you as president of the federation will listen to the call of your members.”
For his part, newly-inducted Master Pewee Russian paid homage to his fellow LTF members that elected him, promising to work hand-in-hand with all members for the development of the Sport.
He promised to take Liberian athletes at a higher level not only in Liberian competitions but in all major Taekwondo competitions on the African continents and the world at large.
“I’m pleased to say thank you to our Taekwondo veterans, to all my fellow athletes who elected me to serve as president for this noble institution of ours and also to members of the Sports Writers Association (SWAL) because it’s a dream come true.
“I want to say thank you to the People Republic of China because they stood by me when I was rejected and they gave me the courage which helped to bring me this far in the game of Taekwondo,” he said.
Ahmed Tukpah, who served as Chairman of the LTF just-ended Special Elections, called on Master Russian to always listen to the calls of members of his federation if he wants development for Taekwondo in Liberia.