Monrovia – Two of Liberia’s rising technical minds in sports have returned to the country with a solemn pledge to transform the local sporting landscape by introducing top-tier European sports science and training methodologies to their peers nationwide.
By Macaulay Sombai, sombai.macaulaysombai@frontpageafricaonline.com
Coach Wellay Baar of the Liberia Basketball Federation (LBF) and Coach Weabeh Freeman of the Liberia Athletics Federation (LAF) successfully touched down in Monrovia after completing an intensive six-month international coaching scholarship in Budapest, Hungary, and Barcelona, Spain, respectively.
The technical duo had been handpicked for the elite European programs by the Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC), recognized for their tactical proficiency and long-standing dedication to grassroots sports development in Liberia.
Speaking on her technical experience at the prestigious Hungarian University of Sports Science in Budapest, Coach Wellay Baar explained that the curriculum broke away from traditional basketball drills to look at the holistic, modern development of an athlete.
Over the six-month period, Baar mastered 10 distinct, specialized sports courses, including advanced sports psychology, strategic decision-making, exercise science, biology, and high-performance strength and conditioning.
Describing the rigorous training as a monumental achievement for her coaching career, Baar announced plans to organize immediate training clinics to upgrade the skills of local basketball handlers.
“One of the critical areas I focused on was sports nutrition understanding the precise food an athlete needs before hitting the court and the dietary science required for post-game recovery,” Baar noted.
“We may not have state-of-the-art sports science facilities here in Liberia yet, but I am fully prepared to look beyond our limitations and teach our coaches and players these vital nutritional habits to unlock their maximum potential.”
She expressed immense gratitude to the leadership of the LNOC for providing the life-changing platform, reassuring the Olympic body of her immediate readiness to mentor others.
Meanwhile, athletics coach Weabeh Freeman’s stint in Barcelona, Spain, centered heavily on the cutting-edge mechanics of track and field, covering advanced biomechanics, athlete movement analysis, daily routine management, and specialized training periodization.
Freeman raised Liberia’s profile abroad by graduating at the top of his international class with a remarkable 97 percent academic average an achievement that took him to Switzerland for the official, high-profile graduation ceremony.
He noted that the program gave him a rare seat at the table with some of the world’s most elite sports minds.
“Being in Barcelona gave me the opportunity to work side-by-side with world-class and Olympic-level coaches who expanded my entire perspective on track and field,” Freeman said. “I owe a massive debt of gratitude to the leadership of the LNOC. It was their institutional support that paved the way for me to undergo this rigorous training and successfully graduate in Switzerland.”
LNOC Demands Visible, Practical Reform
Receiving the two coaches upon their return to Monrovia, LNOC President Cllr. Sylvester Rennie highly commended the pair for their exemplary academic performances and for flying the Liberian flag high in Europe.
Cllr. Rennie reminded the audience that the Hungarian institution has historically shaped Liberia’s finest sports minds, pointing out that iconic figures like the late legendary Lone Star Head Coach Kadalah Kromah and veteran football technician Francis Tamba walked the exact same path.
He challenged Baar and Freeman to waste no time in deploying their expertise, emphasizing that international sports scholarships are meant to drive structural changes, not collect dust on certificates.
“We are expecting nothing short of a complete, practical application of the knowledge you have brought back to Liberia,” Cllr. Rennie concluded.
“The ultimate goal of these programs is the transfer of knowledge. We expect you to be the catalysts who will raise the technical benchmarks of basketball and athletics across our country.”
