“Coming back here was very, very emotional. I would have loved to have my dad around to see me return to Ivory Coast to cover Africa’s biggest football competition; unfortunately, he is no longer with us.”
Unlike younger people born in post-war Liberia, many of them have experienced life as a refugee due to 14 years of civil unrest.
Theophilus Kla Wesley, Jr. the most followed sports journalist in Liberia, is one of them. Although he was a child, he still considers himself a refugee.
In 1994, the well-known “T Kla” and his parents left their hometown of Pleebo in Maryland County, one of Liberia’s 15 counties, fleeing to Ivory Coast, a French-speaking nation that borders Liberia to the east.
This was the result of armed conflicts in Liberia that started in May of that year and continued until August, when the conflicts reached a peak. A staggering 1.8 million Liberians were in need of humanitarian aid as the situation spiraled out of control. Wesley was just 2 when he and his parents settled in Tabou, where he completed his kindergarten education.
“Life as a refugee was bad, considering I was young and living in a whole different environment,” Wesley recalled.
Nonetheless, the early years of his life as a refugee did not prevent him from contributing significantly to society. Today, the nickname “T Kla” has become a household name in this country when it comes to sports journalism.
After 16 years, Wesley returned to the Ivory Coast to cover the biggest football competition on the continent, the Africa Cup of Nations, or AFCON. He did this as an accredited journalist, not a wayward refugee.
“Coming back here was very, very emotional. I would have loved to have my dad around to see me return to Ivory Coast to cover Africa’s biggest football competition; unfortunately, he is no longer with us,” he said, getting emotional as he spoke.
His father died on January 4, 2023.
Though getting there was a serious challenge, Wesley could not afford to let the 2023 AFCON — held in the nation where he sought refuge — pass by without him providing media coverage.
“Planning to cover the 2023 AFCON was something really huge, considering the average amount sports journalists earn in Liberia,” he said. “It was a big challenge I was faced with because I wanted my first coverage to be a full one and not just the opening game or the first round of games. The budget was huge, and I had to write companies for sponsorship. It’s a big burden to bear alone. Luckily for me, Bettomax Liberia accepted my proposal and decided to take full responsibility.”
Not only were native Liberians proud that their most well-known sports journalist was covering the AFCON, but Wesley also was proud and excited about the experience. However, covering the Liberia national team at the competition could have been even more exciting.
“I feel good covering AFCON 2023, which is my first. It is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I feel excited about doing it. It is a reality now, not just a dream, and I am loving it and learning a lot along the way,” he said.
“Honestly, it is sad to be here, having sleepless nights and traveling long distances to cover games for other teams. It would have been massive coverage of Liberia at the AFCON. I see the joy in the faces of other journalists covering their nations. It is a special feeling that I would have loved to have,” he added.
Wesley has come a long way in the journalism profession. His choice to specialize in digital journalism — the contemporary form of journalism — has continued to pay off since 2013, when he started reporting with more emphasis on Liberian players playing abroad.
“I did that [reporting on foreign-based players] consistently and started to attract attention. By the end of 2013, newspapers and radio stations were copying stories from my page and relaying them,” Wesley said.
Looking back, he has always wanted to be at the top level with the big sports media institutions throughout his professional career, he said.
The pathway leading to this career culmination may have been challenging, but his brand could now become that institution. Leaving a legacy is his ultimate aim.
“One day, I want to be remembered as the guy who came out of nowhere and tried to make a difference in sports journalism.”
