George Opong Weah, the first African to be African, European and World’s best football player over a decade ago, has won the elections for the presidency of his country, Liberia. Before now, the prescription by international sports bodies for sports development is a fundamental divorce of government from sports, making interference (including by government) in the internal affairs of national federations an anathema. Now I believe that wholesomely adapting western prescriptions for peculiar political African ailments has been a big mistake. George Weah’s entry into national politics now introduces a new perspective. George Weah is a deserving winner of his national political elections only because of the work he has been doing for decades as a football player and thereafter.

Source: The Guardian December 30, 2017 03:45 UTC