Freetown, Thursday 17th August 2023
“`The Baby Dolphins, Sierra Leone’s junior swimming team, have embarked on an exciting journey to the 3rd Africa Aquatics Zone 2 Junior Swimming Championship in Accra, Ghana.
The delegation departed for the competition on 16th of August 2023, a day filled with both excitement and nervousness for the young swimmers who had been training tirelessly for months, honing their skills, and pushing their limits to prepare for this prestigious event.
The championships will commence on 18th August instant and is set to be hosted at the renowned University of Ghana, Swimming Pool in Legon, a venue known for accommodating some of the greatest swimming competitions in Ghana and in Africa.
At the Sierra Leone Aquatics office, the atmosphere was electric and cheerful before the team’s departure, especially after their disappointment of missing out of the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. Their determination and hard work had not gone unnoticed by all, and the support from their senior colleagues was overwhelming.
The journey symbolized not just a competition but a chance to represent their beloved country and make their mark on the international swimming stage and gain World Aquatics points as part of their development pathways.
As they landed in Accra, the Dolphins felt a sense of excitement and anticipation and they were immediately immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of the championships, surrounded by fellow swimmers from twelve countries in African Aquatics Zone 2.
Today, until tomorrow, is a whirlwind of emotions and challenges for the youngsters. All five of them are debutants in the swimming stage, and they will be hoping to represent the country in the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Competition in Netanya, Israel, in September this year.
Baby Dolphins Coach Gibrilla Kanu Bamba, himself a former Sierra Dolphin, says that the athletes have pushed themselves to their limits while striving for excellence at the Sierra Palms Hotel where they have been training for the past months.
Delegation
• Gibrilla Kanu Bamba – Coach/Team Leader
• Moses Yongai – Team Captain
• Musa Baimba Sannoh – Athlete
• Peter Elijah Bewie – Athlete
• Elizabeth Yaba Kamara – Athlete (F)
• Anaya Susan Folasade M’Cormack-Hale – Athlete (F)
Mohamed Abdul Turay, Sierra Leone Aquatics President who is also an African Aquatics Zone 2 Bureau member, is also in Accra for a strategic planning meeting for A. A. Zone 2.
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Sierra Leone Aquatics Media and Communication Department