President Sirleaf Officially Reopens SKD Sports Complex

Monrovia, Liberia - President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has described the Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) Sports Complex as a symbol of friendship, partnership, reconciliation and good leadership.

The Liberian Chief Executive spoke today at a program marking the official opening of the SKD Sports Complex renovated by the People’s Republic of China.

President Johnson Sirleaf noted that the partnership between Liberia and China has been strengthened, especially with the renovation of the new sports facility, which she described as a unifying force. President Johnson Sirleaf, who also participated in a table tennis match, challenged Liberian youth to use the Complex for good sportsmanship and to remain disciplined.

Chinese Ambassador Zhou Yuxiao urged Liberians to consider the SKD Sports Complex a tool to enjoy the peace and stability now maintained in the country. He also used the occasion to invite Liberia to the 2008 Olympics scheduled for China.

For her part, Youth and Sports Minister Etmonia Tarpeh thanked the People’s Republic of China for the renovated Complex and called on youth to see the facility as an environment for reconciliation. She also noted that the re-opening of the complex is a beginning of a new dawn in Liberian sports.

The Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex was recently renovated by the Government of China and turned over to the Liberian Government after it had suffered serious destruction as a result of the civil war. The Complex was originally constructed by the Chinese Government during the administration of late President Samuel Kanyon Doe.