The female duo of Maria G. Fofanah and Binta Bah showcases a stellar performance to win the West Africa 2022 Zonal Beach Volleyball championship hosted in Banjul, The Gambia.
The pair was classified as the best female team in the competition after winning all their 4 matches prior to the grand final which was played at Palma Rima Beach on Sunday 4, September 2022.
Maria and Binta set up a good partnership to beat Senegal by 2 straight sets ( 21:15, 21:15) as they clinched the ultimate championship gold medals unbeaten.
Earlier in the day Sierra Leone’s male team failed in their quest for gold as they lost to the pair of Nyabally and Mario by two sets to one (21:17, 15:21, 15:13).
The next option was to dig for bronze, the boys did win the bronze medal in the third place match against Senegal, thrashing them by two straight (2-0).
Medals and trophies were presented to both genders and Sierra Leone would take the arduous three-day journey home with their medals and coveted trophy.
Some Sierra Leonean fans who watched the tournament have expressed disappointment over the news that the team will be returning to Freetown by road.
“Our volleyball teams has done us proud. They came to The Gambia and display quality. They played good volleyball and both the male and female team were exceptional in the competition”.
“It is sad to know that they will be returning by road to Sierra Leone. It is not good for them. These are players who have represented our country well, they deserved to be treated like ambassadors”.
The people responsible to run sports should start treating our athlete better. Few years ago this same thing happens to the women cricket team. They came to The Gambia and win the trophy without any support from the government. They also had to return by road to Sierra Leone. It is a sad experience”, a fan said.
The Sub-regional Beach Volleyball Championship started in Banjul with five nations competing for gold, silver, and bronze. The competing nations include the host the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, and Sierra Leone.
The five nations were divided into two groups of three for both males and females. Host nation the Gambia produced two male and female teams. Male Group A consists of Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Conakry. Male Group B includes Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Senegal.
Female Group A includes Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Guinea Conakry. Female Group B consists of Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Senegal.
Teams in each group played in a pool format with the top-two advancing to the semi-finals. And the winners of the semi-finals progressed to the grand finals in both categories.
