Minister Kruah Unveils Sports Decentralization Plan

Minister Kruah   Unveils Sports Decentralization Plan: Announces China Trip for Local County Players
VOINJAMA — Youth and Sports Minister, Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah has announced a significant step toward decentralizing sports development, revealing that 15 local footballers—one from each of Liberia’s counties—will travel to China to participate in a one-week international amateur tournament.
The players, selected from the National County Meet All-Star team, will compete in the Cun Chao Tournament in May—an initiative aimed at promoting sports development, cultural exchange, and youth empowerment.
Speaking on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the Wologisi Intellectual Forum in Voinjama and on Radio Life, during her assessment and engagement tour in Lofa County, Minister Kruah disclosed that the opportunity follows an invitation from the Chinese Embassy in Liberia for an 18-member amateur team.
She explained that the Ministry reserved 15 of the slots to ensure equal representation from all counties, underscoring her administration’s commitment to extending sports development beyond Monrovia. The selection process, she noted, was carried out under the supervision of the Deputy Minister for Sports, Hon. G. Andy Quamie.
Minister Kruah further revealed that, in consultation with the Director of Sports, the Ministry is working to revive county-based sporting programs while introducing new initiatives to identify and nurture grassroots talent nationwide.
Providing details on the criteria, Deputy Minister Quamie emphasized that the selection process was strictly localized. Each player selected must be born, schooled, actively playing, and currently residing in the county they represent.
Highlighting Lofa County’s representative, Quamie named Dennis Gbagbaku as one of the players selected for the international trip. “Dennis will go to China, play, gain experience, and return,” he said. “You will see him.”
The tournament, which will feature amateur players between the ages of 18 and 30, is also expected to strengthen bilateral ties between Liberia and China while providing valuable international exposure for young Liberian athletes.