Liberia National Olympic Committee hoping to lead sporting recovery from Ebola

Sport is seen as a way to boost the recovery from Ebola in Liberia ©Getty Images

Liberia's Olympic Village in Paynesville is undergoing a belated renovation, as recovery work continues following the Ebola outbreak which has ravaged the West African nation in recent months.

The country has been the worst hit nation during the epidemic, which has also badly affected Sierra Leone and Guinea, with a total of over 4,500 confirmed deaths and at least 10,000 cases.

This has impacted planned development work at the Village, which is undergoing an "Impact Renovation", carried out by the Liberian National Olympic Committee with Government support.

Reconstruction delays are directly related to the epidemic, LNOC's vice-president for Administration Sylvester Rennie told the Liberian Daily Observer, because resources have been diverted elsewhere, with LNOC contributing to the effort to distribute materials to schools and communities in order to provide protection against Ebola.

The Village - which holds a football pitch, an athletics track and a multipurpose basketball court - has also been hit by heavy rain and "thievery" following the outbreak, it is claimed.

Liberian athletes pictured at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Games ©AFP/Getty Images

But, with the country now beginning its recovery, it is hoped work can speed up, and the Liberian sporting community able to focus on preparing teams for events such as September's All Africa Games in Brazzaville and next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Liberia has competed at 11 of the last 14 Summer Games, and every one since Barcelona 1992, but is yet to win a medal.

At London 2012 a four strong team participated, consisting of athletes Jangy Addy, Flagbearer Phobay Kutu-Akoi and Raasin McIntosh and judoka Liva Saryee.

It is hoped preparations for Rio 2016 will receive more Government backing than the team did for London 2012.

Sports Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe last month become the first and only public official to be honored by LNOC, being named an "Honourable Individual Member" of the NOC in recognition of his promotion and development of sport and "upholding of the Olympic values".