Delegates of the Sierra Leone Wrestling Association (SLWA) have unanimously agreed to extend the tenure of Prince Vandy Sualley and his executive for another term, following an elective congress held on Saturday at the OlymAfrica Centre in Freetown.
The decision came after the close of nominations, during which no alternative candidates emerged to contest any of the executive positions, a development widely seen as a vote of confidence in the current leadership’s performance and commitment to the growth of wrestling in Sierra Leone.
Addressing delegates, Prince Sualley praised members of the executive, the technical team, and athletes for the progress and international recognition wrestling has achieved over the years. He urged all stakeholders to remain focused and determined as the association prepares for future international competitions.
Highlighting the association’s milestones, Prince recalled Sierra Leone’s debut at the African Wrestling Championship in 2011, where David Conteh won the country’s first-ever bronze medal in the sport. He also referenced the historic participation at the World Wrestling Championship in Turkey in 2017, where Hajaratu Kamara secured a silver medal and Abdul Fatta won bronze—marking a major breakthrough for Sierra Leone on the global wrestling stage.
He further noted that the same athletes later represented the country at the African Championship in Tunisia. However, he explained that despite reaching the bronze medal bouts, both wrestlers narrowly missed podium finishes due to the difficult travel conditions they endured. According to him, the team was forced to travel by road to Port Harcourt, Nigeria, before boarding a flight to Tunisia, largely because of funding constraints that affected early preparation and timely arrival.
Despite these challenges, Prince Sualley expressed optimism about the future, stating that Sierra Leone now boasts a growing pool of both local and international-based wrestlers capable of competing favorably at continental and global levels. He emphasized that selection for international competitions would be strictly merit-based and encouraged local wrestlers to train hard and remain disciplined.
Looking ahead, he reminded delegates that the next major assignment would be the African Wrestling Championship scheduled for Alexandria, Egypt. He assured members that he would personally accompany the delegation to motivate the athletes and support their quest to qualify for the global championship.
As part of preparations, Prince revealed plans to bring in a highly experienced wrestling expert from Nigeria to train local coaches. He explained that those trained would, in turn, transfer their knowledge to other coaches nationwide, ensuring capacity building and sustainable development of the sport. He concluded by calling on all stakeholders to maintain unity and focus on advancing wrestling in Sierra Leone.
Earlier in the congress, delegates adopted the minutes of the previous congress held in 2025 at the Makawago Hall in Kissy, Freetown.
The event was also graced by the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOCSL), Ahmed Khanou, who is also President of the Sierra Leone Volleyball Association. Khanou commended the SLWA executive for consistently holding Annual General Meetings and keeping members informed of activities and future plans. He described this as a model of good governance expected of all sporting associations under the NOC. He urged coaches and athletes to take full advantage of upcoming opportunities, noting that the NOC expects all disciplines to intensify preparations to win medals in international competitions this year.
The newly endorsed executive includes Prince Vandy Sualley (President), Musa Conteh (Vice President), Unisa Dumbuya (Treasurer), Alie Bundu (Public Relations Officer), Bai Bangura (Secretary General), Zainab Favor Kamara, Esq. (Assistant Secretary General), Jamal Jaffa (Technical Director), Suliaman Kargbo (Athletes’ Representative), and Haja Ben Kamara (Women’s Representative). Regional chairpersons were also named across the North-West, North-East, Southern, Eastern, and Western regions.
