GOOD WHEN SMALL BUT BAD WHEN YOUNG.
The Gambian sport life is like a pyramid. When you are young and full of
natural talent you are so good and feel so good about the sport but as
you grow older you start to narrow down. If you are unlucky to be
injured you may end up disable for life without insurance.When I was
young my first sport hero was Mbemba Camara, a runner from Dobson street
and after him I have watch every promising sports person in the Gambia
very closely.

MANAGERS
The managers we need in the Gambia should not necessarily be
ex-sportsmen but visinories in advance sports, the science of sports and
business- like person who knows the need of sportsmen and women, how to
create events, catalogue the talents, market them for training and in
few years they will be professional and they will pay off. The Gambia
Amature Atheletics Association  is too poor to turn anyone professional.
The budgets they make for career developement and promotion is out of
line with the modern world ..Secondly, they do not promote sporting
meetings in The Gambia so they make no money at all. In  Senegal they
get the best out of these meetings. They have the right people with
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE and a perfect knowledge of interacting with
business monguls and financial angels. Our guys don't know this. You
need a sofisticated person to stir up support for money for the
developement of Arts and Sports in The Gambia. I think that they should
have a brand new board that will bring back the compititive sports back
in The Gambia with one major international event annually that brings
other sporting legends of the world into the Gambia. Their sponsors will
FOLLOW.

BEST IN AFRICA
The Gambia used to boast one of the finest Athletics in Africa. We used
to claimed The Best High Jumper in Africa (Shiek Fye) and Later Denny
Cham (Ghana Airways). We had a great  4x100 meters team that used to
massacre many African teams including Senegal ( one of the best in
Africa). We had also then a strong 400 and 800 meters list of individual
runners like Badou Jasseh, Abou Jallow, Kebba Diaz,Sering Fye, Badou Wit
,Cherno Touray and many more.

FEMALE CHAMPIONS
Our female team was one of the best in the Continent (60's-70's) which
consisted of Alberta Awadzi, Lucy Williams, Princess Small, Carline
Bovier. Therte were the first Athelets who introduced the running shoes
with spikes in the Gambia.They were Silver medal winners in The Congo
Brazzaville All African Games in the  70's.There were other females who
reigned suprime in sport are the likes of Mahajum Njie, Gifty Perrira
and many more.

THE BOYS TEAM
We had great individual Athelets who were very competitive on the
international stage and left a legacy behind. The likes of 400 meters
runner Winston Joiner, 100 meters runner Late Javis Turner, Chico Njie,
George Gomez,Babou Jangum and Dodou Joof . A very competitive sprinter
and long jumper was Prince Obriend Coker (Biola) . He was jumping 8 feet
and more then. When Senegal had The world classs runners like Abdu Saye,
Amadou Gakou, Remy Bensaloum who were reknown in Europe ,we used to
shoulder them up.There was a follow up with student athelets like Hector
Loum Long jump and triple jump, followed by Modou Wadda (triple jump).
There was a lisdt of middle distance runners like Kabba Bojang (800
meters) and Bambo Fatty (400 meters) and Kebba Diaz (800 meters),1500
meters runner Late Abdou Mbow (Fire Service) 5000 meters runner Ousman
Jallow and a list goes on.The male team had endless icons eg: Koto Abdou
Mbye, .Biri Njie, Umpa Chew.These were the golden days.

THE LEGENDS
The Legends include names like Sait Mbye (sprinter), Meh Johnson
(all-rounder/decathlon) and Mambo Fatty (400 meter dash). The Gambia is
full of talents and stars. The daily life of a Gambian is a struggle.
You cant fail. This is the order of the day from Mom and Dad to friends.
Many talents were not the best in the class room but they also have
something special that the world needs.Every one is capable. The names
Like Cow  Dibba, Dodou Manneh, Salieu Foon, Asimie Cool, Saihou Njie
(claude).Ngaga Choi, Banana Jarju, Abdoulie Cham (Sukuta), Dodou Njie
(Rick), followed by the likes of Ousman Ndour, Ousman Secka, and from
this time on the sport start to DIE.. Sports men and women were STARZS
in thoes days. Everyone was inspired and motivated. They looked up to
something. In almost every street there was long jump pitch, or high
jump bar ( mburu naka), soccer corner, and late at night big streets
were used for relay races sprinting and bicycle racing.

THE FUTURE
The sindependance tadium is still in good order and the Kids in the
Gambia are ever active. But there are no organised training
programmesand sporting activites. So they are turning to drugs and
gangerstar life style and gun lyrics in the music. Sports is not in the
minds of the kids. It is not promoted and no one know the rewards and
the benefits. The only fear injury and waiste of time. The same with
music and our national heritage and culture, Ballet national,
theater,drama,poetry and music bands. We have a long way to go. Atleast
we have something yet to develope. It is not late. We have to wake up
and Live to it.

More Sports!!!!!

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