At the same time, in a world of division of labor and commercialism, more and more different forms of sports are proving to be big image earners for individuals, teams and countries, as well as becoming a lucrative source of earning. This includes Kenyan marathon runners, top flight European league footballers, tennis players, cricketers, athletes, etc. A new age, forward-looking SWASAL under my leadership will make it a priority to publicize the many benefits of having a nation of sportsmen/women and sports fans.
Mission Statement
Having come from the grassroots as a sports writer and progressed through the ranks to become a leading Sports Newspaper Publisher with a lot of practical knowledge about promoting sports, the Ibrahim Babatunde Sesay SWASAL administration shall impartially serve all sports stakeholders and fans of respective sporting disciplines, and ensure that prominence is given to the promotion, development and sponsorship of football and other sporting disciplines in the country.
Vision
The vision of an Ibrahim Babatunde Sesay led SWASAL administration will be to create a new forward looking association that is independent, credible and well resourced to serve as a key promoter of the various sporting disciplines in the country.
Guiding Principles
1.Capacity Building
With the country’s print and electronics media mainly focused on the promotion of football, in order to diversify coverage of other sports and give professional and advanced reporting, my administration will endeavor to devise and institute capacity building training courses and programs for all sports journalists registered with the association. This will be done through establishing strong working relationships with the Ministry of Sports, colleges and universities, individuals, corporate sponsors and various sector promoters here and abroad.
In that regard, efforts will be made by my administration to establish strong working relationships between SWASAL and the National Sports Council, the National Olympics Committee, the executives of all sporting disciplines, the Golf Club, telecommunications companies and all other sports sponsors and promoters in the country, including Mercury International. My leadership will ensure there is capacity building for ALL sports journalists without fear or favour.
The Chairmen of the various regions will be encouraged to develop and present budgets to the national office for the organization of trainings for sports writers in their respective regions.
As President of the Association, Babs will work with state and non-state institutions such as banks, mining companies, NATCOM, NGOs and INGOs, mobile companies, high commissions and embassies and individual philanthropists to come on board and join Mercury International to sponsor the Association.
A Babs administration will diversify sponsorship that will see the Association send out sports writers on studies and bring in sports experts to train local sports writers on various sporting disciplines.
- DECENTRALIZATION:
Considering the benefits that go with decentralization, my administration will ensure that SWASAL regional branches serve as focal points for the identification and promotion of the country’s hidden sporting talents.
I will also ensure that there is fair representation and transparency in the selection of sports journalists for coverage of national and international events. My leadership will encourage the designing of a roster that will be used to rotationally send sports writers on international trips and coverage as and when the opportunities come.
- TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY:
Without casting any blame on the previous SWASAL administrations, there have been many reports of opaqueness in the conduct of SWASAL business over the years.
As an administrator keen on lifting the association under my leadership from strength to strength, and knowing that keeping proper accounts is the backbone of any organization’s health and functionality, I shall ensure to maintain an open, transparent and accountable organization that shall be at all times open to scrutiny by its members and the public. My administration will ensure that each and every cent paid to the Association will be thoroughly disbursed and accounted for. There will be a quarterly reporting system of financial transactions in the Association by the executive to the general membership.
- Peace Building
The Association has lost sponsorships and affiliations with several of its partners, largely owing to several things including mistrust.
A Babs administration shall unite the Association’s membership and its partners during its tenure.
The Association under my leadership will once again unite with the National Sports Council, SLFA, NOC and all other sporting disciplines.
- GENDER EQUITY:
In a male dominated culture, wherein even sports is seen as a male preserve, my administration will not only focus on bringing onboard women as sports writers by providing those interested with training opportunities but will also endeavor to publicize sports more with the female population, as a form of keeping fit and healthy, and also as a career path for talented females. My leadership will encourage female journalists to see sports writing as a very attractive and lucrative category of journalism.
I will ensure that more female sport writers be brought on board and given the opportunity to excel in writing and reporting sports.
A SHORT PROFILE OF MR. IBRAHIM BABATUNDE SESAY
Ibrahim Babatunde Sesay had his primary education at the Aberdeen Municipal School and secondary education at the United Muslim Association Secondary School (UMASS) in Freetown. He holds a Diploma in Marketing, Advertisement, Public Relations, Quantitative Method, International Business Communication (IBC), from the Freetown College for Management and Accountancy and also an Advanced Diploma in Management Theory & Practice, Customer Care, Financial Management, and Marketing from the same Institution. Babatunde also has a number of Certificates from Thomson Foundation/DFID sponsored courses and also Computer Software courses from Africa GEO International Institution.
Mr. Sesay started his journalism career as a cub-reporter at The Democrat newspaper in 2000. He quickly rose up to become a senior reporter and was for many years the Democrat’s Business Manager. He has also reported for the renowned Patriotic Vanguard online newspaper which is owned by the Vancouver, Canada based Afri-Can Publications which also publishes Afri-Can magazine. Babs has also reported for Soccer Vista.com.
In 2009, he successfully started the Satellite Newspaper which has grown to become one of the country’s leading newspapers, rated as the fastest selling with a wide eclectic readership.
Mr. Sesay has in the process interacted with many colleagues in the profession, many of whom have used his newspaper as a stepping stone to higher heights. In the Aberdeen community where he lives, he is renowned as a patron of not only the sports but also a promoter of community based social and cultural activities. He was the President of the Aberdeen Muslim Youth Organization (AMYO) and Aberdeen Youth Chairman after winning both elections landslide.
His ultimate dream is to see Sierra Leone rise over the coming years to take its rightful place among the continent’s leading sporting nations. He was one of the prominent men in his community who took a challenge to fight the Ebola virus not only in his community but the country as a whole.
Married with three children, a boy and two girls, Mr. Sesay is a keen football fan and a strong supporter of FC Kallon and Liverpool FC respectively.
Long live Sports!
Long live SWASAL!
Long live Sierra Leone!
