By Nenneh Fofanah
Freetown, 25th August 2025- A landmark achievement for Sierra Leone basketball is at risk, following the historic qualification of the national under-16 basketball team. The team secured its first-ever spot in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U-16 Afrobasket tournament, scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from September 2nd to 14th.
Despite fielding only six players instead of the standard twelve, the young squad triumphed over Mauritania in Conakry, delivering a powerful message of resilience, discipline, and national pride. However, their journey now hangs in the balance due to a lack of funding.
In an interview with Truth Newspaper, Issa Fofanah, head coach of the U-16s, expressed frustration over the government’s silence. “Ideally, government is supposed to provide funds for us. We reached out to them immediately after the qualifiers in July, sending everything, including the full budget. We even cut down expenses to just flight tickets and accommodation,” he said.
“We were waiting for them, the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority, but till now we haven’t received any response. So we’ve decided to go corporate, launching a GoFundMe project,” Fofanah added.
He detailed the challenges faced: assembling players from different schools, training in outdoor facilities despite basketball being an indoor sport, and ultimately winning the Zone 2 championship. “After all that, we’re still struggling for funds. The pressure from the organizers isn’t helping, but I can’t blame them, they’ve seen countries fail to show up over the years. If we don’t confirm soon, Sierra Leone will be replaced.”
