The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with Orange Liberia, has jointly announced that the 2021/2022 Orange National County Meet will commence on December 11, 2021 in Margibi County. The announcement was made at a joint press conference held at the Royal Grand Hotel in Monrovia on December 1, 2021.
Speaking on behalf of the Government of Liberia (GOL), the Minister of Youth and Sports, D. Zeogar Wilson, revealed that the 2021/2022 County Meet was being hosted under the theme, “Commemorating 200 Years of Togetherness Through Sports”. He explained that the theme had been selected to coincide with the bicentennial celebrations. “As Liberia celebrates its bicentennial, we wanted to make sure that sports didn’t get left out of the overarching celebrations,” said Minister Wilson.
Minister Wilson acknowledged the support Orange Liberia has provided the county meet for the past two years, and stated that, as the partnership entered its third year, his ministry and the Government of Liberia (GOL) remain thankful to Orange Liberia for its support, which included both cash and in-kind contributions to the successful hosting of the county meet.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Varney Sirleaf, buttressed Minister Wilson’s statement and noted that the theme for this year’s meet was “befitting”. He explained that over the years the county meet had become a powerful tool to unite people from across the 15 counties. He also reiterated appreciation to Orange Liberia for its support of the County Meet, and admonished all participating teams to remain cordial during the games in order to continue to foster the spirit of unification. “Regardless of the outcome of the tournament and no matter who wins or loses, we must recognize that all participating teams are winners by virtue of putting on the uniform,” Minister Sirleaf underscored.
Speaking on behalf of Orange Liberia, the company’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Julien Paquier, said in addition to its cash sponsorship of the county meet, Orange would provide additional support, including printing of tickets and the creation of several giveaway prizes for its football-loving customers. “We cannot reveal to you all the goodies we have in stored for the 2021/2022 county meet, but I assure you that, like previous years, there are many exciting promotions in the works which we will unveil soon,” said Paquier.
The County Meet is one of the most heavily anticipated sports events in Liberia, with its final matches drawing thousands of fans from across the county. While the games will be played before a live audience, fans will be expected to follow all COVID-19 health protocols.