After three years without sports activities, Government Municipal Secondary School at Horseshoe Road, Kissy Dockyard, Freetown, has successfully brought back its annual inter-house sports. The colourful two-day event was held on 20th and 21st January 2026 and was warmly welcomed by students, teachers, parents, and old students of the school.

Government Municipal Secondary School is one of the oldest schools in the Kissy Dockyard community. It was founded on 3rd October 1966. For three years, the school could not organize sports because of repeated cases of violence during school events, especially in the Kissy Dockyard area. Despite these challenges, the Principal of the Junior Secondary School, Mr. Mohamed Bangura, said he was determined that sports would not disappear from the school.

Speaking during the event, Mr. Bangura explained that safety concerns were the main reason sports activities were suspended in previous years. To solve this problem, the school called a Community Teachers Association (CTA) meeting, where parents and school authorities discussed how to maintain peace during school programmes. Parents suggested stronger security, including police presence, and strict control at the entrance.

It was agreed that only students wearing school uniforms or house colours would enter the field freely. Anyone not properly dressed would pay a small token before being allowed in. According to the Principal, these rules were put in place to protect students and ensure discipline throughout the event.

Mr. Bangura said reviving the annual sports was very important because sports help to build unity, teamwork, discipline, and confidence among students. He added that all school rules apply equally to both the Junior and Senior Secondary Schools.

In the past, the school held its sports at Lions Field. However, after the field was renovated, the space became smaller and more expensive to use. For this reason, the 2026 inter-house sports were moved to Brima Stadium, which provided more space and better security.

The first day of the sports featured heats and preliminary races. On the final day, students competed in full events, proudly representing their houses in bright school colours. Teachers, parents, and invited guests cheered as students showed their talents in athletics. At the end of the event, there were no reports of violence or disturbance, which brought great relief and joy to the school authorities.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Bangura thanked the teachers, sports officials, and students for working together to make the event successful. He also thanked the invited guests, including Alhaji Maddi Bangura, Deputy Director of Finance at the National Sports Authority and an old student of the school.

The Principal reminded students of the school’s proud history and shared the success stories of old pupils, including Madam Augusta James-Teima, Sierra Leone’s first female Minister of Sports. He encouraged students to believe in themselves, remain disciplined, and work hard, saying their future has no limits if they stay focused.

The Vice Principal and Chairman of the Sports Committee, Mr. Richard S. Abdul, confirmed that this year’s event was the school’s 55th Annual Sports Meeting. He explained that sports were stopped in previous years because of security challenges, but thanked the CTA, school management, and the Sierra Leone Police for helping to ensure a peaceful event.

The sports activities ran from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and featured houses such as Betts (Red), Lewis (Yellow), Cummings (Blue), Malamah (Orange), and Barlatte (Green). Certificates were presented to outstanding athletes, while many old students attended to support the school.

At the end of the competition, Betts House (Red) emerged overall winners. Lewis House (Yellow) came second, Cummings House (Blue) placed third, Malamah House (Orange) finished fourth, and Barlatte House (Green) took fifth position.

The peaceful return of the annual sports has restored confidence among parents and the community. It also marks a fresh start for Government Municipal Secondary School as it continues to promote education, discipline, and unity through sports.