The Executive Secretary of the National Sports Council (NSC)
Mamadou Max Jallow and the head coach of Steve Biko FC Abdoulie Bojang on
Tuesday set light on some of the developments registered in sports from 1994 to
date to mark the 18 years anniversary of the second republic under leadership
of President Yahya A.J.J Jammeh.
Max Jallow who is current occupying the position of the
executive secretary of (NSC) a body that serve as a referee between all the
registered local sporting federations in the country was also the first
development officer of the (NSC) from year 2000 to 2004 before traveling to UK
to further his education in sports administration areas. While Abdoulie Bojang
one of the Gambian coaches currently competing for the first division trophy
was also a former national player with many caps.
In his respond to question the developments registered in
sports under the second republic, Jallow reply that “from 1994 to date there
has been a lot of changes in our sports particularly in the areas the
government admin sport. Until in 1999 when the Youth Council was burnt and the
Sports Council a year later which brought separation between the two councils.
In the past everything was under one department and virtually we have only one
or two people running everything. Sports
is too big for one ministry to take care of youth and sports, you need to have
a specialized people in all the two different areas to run smoothly and sustain
the progress of sport in the Gambia”.
He went on to explained that “from 2006 when the NSC was
created, it was enacted by the government and the president himself, as you can
see all the sports associations are coordinated by the (NSC) which are some of
the development achieved under Jammeh’s administration. We are responsible of
implement government policy and regularizing the national association. The
government of The Gambia from 1994 to date, under the dynamic leadership of His
Excellence Sheikh Professor Dr Alhagie Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh who is also the Chief
Petron of all Gambian sports. This is very important because once a leader love
sports it lead to sustainable development of any country in the world”.
He commended the giant
steps taking by the president towards sports excellent and the Minister for
Youth and Sports who is always ready to take any means of promoting sports
under the second republic in all what it takes him to do.
Max Jallow recalled the best moments of Gambia’s sports
special football from 2004 to 2007 when Gambia hosted and won the U-17 Youth Championship
of Africa, going to the U-17 world Cup in Pure the following year and defeated
the tournament favorite Brazil, the U-20 World Cup in Canada in 2006 and the retaining
of the African Youth Championship trophy in Algeria and players benefited from
28 million dalasis generosity from the president Jammeh. He also mentioned the tremendous efforts of
the senior national team during the recent years keening among them was when
they hold two draws with Africa’s last team (Senegal) in the 2002 world Cup
core hosted by Korea and Japan which prevent them from qualifying to South
Africa 2010 tournament, even though Gambia was struck out by the new FIFA
rules. He added that all the players in the squared were award with a plot of
land, and all these happen in the second republic to encourage mass youth
participation in to sports.
Commenting on the present sports structures in the country,
he stated that “the communities should put in place a good structures to be
able to manage Gambian sports higher high. All the communities should have
their own team and supports it moral and financial in other not to encourage
outsiders to use their teams for business on the expense of the communities,
which does not encourage the promotion of sports. I am very sorry to say, but I
think Gambian football have to take that train where every community will have
it own team and support it moral and financial”. Max Jallow suggested.
When asked in his opinion which head coach among all those coaches
contracted with Gambia national teams under the Jammeh’s administration secured
the best record for the country, he reply “from 1994 to date the best coach to
me was the former U-17 coach, The Ghanaian tacticians Ousam Doudou for
qualifying the country first to the World Cup in Pure after winning the African
U-17 youth championship in Banjul. In the senior level to be quite honest no one
else, but thanks to Paul Put, let give the devil it due, it was unfortunate
that the time they were removing him the country was in a dilemma either to
allow him to stay or leave considering the amount he was paid for. Let us look
at ourselves now and think who the best Gambian coach is with all the qualification
to take the job and stop depending on these foreign coaches as we always
believe”. (NSC) Executive Secretary Jallow appeal.
In conclusion Mr. Jallow mentioned that “I want to commend
every Gambian, because the country is very small and our unity is strength. We
are coming to celebrate the 18 years anniversary of the second republic which
has register more developments in sports. I will seize this opportunity to
congratulate the president and the Vice president in advance a wonderful
celebration, because they are truly role models in the world”.
For his part the hard coach of Steve Biko FC and a former
national team player Abdoulie Bojang also admitted that a lot of developments
have taken place in sports more so in football at the youth level under the
second republic.
According to Coach Bojang “the efforts and success registered
in the U-17 and U-20 couples with motivations from the president which lead to
rapid development of our football compared to our time when we were not fortune
with such motivation. I most also commend the efforts of my colleague coaches
Lamin Sarr, Lamin Sambou and Peter Bonu Jonhson who were standing by the teams in
the two different levels to record such achievements”.
He described the Gambia’s memorable moment in football when
we draw with Senegal in the both legs and when we won the African U-17 Championship
trophy in Algeria in 2007 and each player received 1 million dalasis from
president as sign of appreciation. He reviled that before Gambia don’t use to
register for the youth level, when we started registering the players started
performing and proofing us that we are better than some countries participating
in those competitions.
Coach Bojang further went on to say that “The Gambia is
trying to have its first appearance in both the African cup of nations and the
world cup, if we real want this to happen, the players need have a comfortable
mind and play without anything bothering them. What I belief is during our time
their use to be only two or three professionals in our squared, and we play with
big guns in Africa, we have never been defeated more than two nil both home and
away”. Coach Bonajg highlighted.
When asked in his opinion who was the best coach in The
Gambian football signed under the second republic, Bojang mentioned that “the
best coach for me from 1994 to date that bring more record in our football history
was the former senior national team coach Paul Put, he joined us at U-17 and
U-20 and we real show the impact he contributed to our training and
performance. We (the Gambians) should have maintain little patient for him, it
was rather unfortunate that we fail to qualified, but he was doing well. For me
what is important is even if we don’t qualified, but once we are maintaining
progress one day we will qualify. He tried in his effort to being some players
who did not want to come and play for the Gambia. Look at our FIFA ranking for
example, when he came in, our ranking starting going higher, and now we are
going down and down in every FIFA ranking, which show that our football is
dropping down”. Steve Biko FC head coach Abdoulie Bojang highlighted.
In his conclusion, coach Bojang called on Gambians to keep
supporting their national teams and the people who are involved in running the
affairs of our football so that we can continue to record more and more success
in sports under the second republic.
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