Newly elected president of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association, Martin Momoh Bangura, in his maiden address to the athletics family and Sierra Leone as a whole, called on the need to be united and work together to help push the sport and regain their lost glory.

He said for far too long they have been tilling the seed and have waited for the fruit to be harvested, which was to take Sierra Leone athletics to a different level.

"Our country is blessed with potentials and that is why we have to try to push this discipline but that cannot be achieved if there is hate and discord among ourselves," Bangura said.

"Let me use this opportunity to advise everyone in the athletics family to embrace themselves and put all grievances aside and work towards the resonance of athletics again in Sierra Leone."

The new SLAA president further admitted that there was a lot of work to be done to take the sport to the limelight once again, but confessed that he cannot do it with a divided family.

He also applauded the immediate past president, Alhaji Abdul Karim Sesay and his team for developing athletics in the country in their way and pledged that his executive will continue with the existing plans of the past executive this year as governance entails continuity.

He admitted that they also have their plans which they intend to execute in the coming years.

The SLAA president also advises athletes to maintain discipline and their priceless gifts as that will help them become better persons as achievement goes in line with discipline.

He also called on veterans of the association to come on board to give a helping hand as they are pacesetters.

He concluded with a plea to the government, non-governmental organizations, cooperative entities, media, and regional associations of athletics for their support and contributions towards national development and they hope for more support as they as an association will play their part by training hard and bring home medals as a sign of appreciation.