The Lower River Regional Football Association (LRRFA) on Sunday held its Elective Congress at the Mansakonko Area Council Conference Hall. The Congress re-elected Ansumana Sanneh, unopposed, as the President of the Association for the next four years.
The Congress also re-elected Buba Saidy, Akibou Jarjusey and Abdou Ceesay as the first, second and third vice presidents respectively. Lamin Sanneh was elected Secretary General while Bakary Manneh became the Public Relations Officer, Kebba Camara the Treasurer and Ousainou Jarjusey the Teams’ Representative. All eight members of the Executive Committee were elected unopposed.
In his acceptance speech, Sanneh expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the delegates for re-electing him to steer the affairs of the Association for the next four years. He also thanked them for the trust and confident bestowed on him and team. He hastened to add that all stakeholders must close ranks and support the newly elected Executive to achieve their goals and objectives. “I appeal to all to unite and be focused in our doing and have the same objective in taking football to higher height. I’m one hundred percent sure that together we can do it,” he affirmed.
As part of activities marking the electoral process, the President gave a detailed activity and financial reports which were all unanimously approved by the delegates. Sanneh highlighted some of the tremendous achievements made by the RFA beginning with Kiang West Football Club’s promotion to the second tier in 2018, becoming the first provincial Gambian team to play in the national league. The following season, he added, Jarra West also joined the second division, ensuring that his region has two representatives in the division, the highest so far amongst the four provincial regions.
“The end of the term elective congress is a top most constitutional requirement for the leadership of football in the region as one of its core engagements. It also ensures that we are accountable to you for the assigned responsibilities on your behalf in a transparent and democratic manner as one of the critical principles of good governance,” Sanneh affirmed.
“The Regional Football Association under my leadership placed high premium on the respect to the laws and conventions governing football. We also never relented in cementing genuine partnership with stakeholders including The Gambia Football Federation [GFF] and other sectors.”
Speaking further, Mr. Sanneh disclosed that as part of its plans in expanding the regional third division league, thus increasing competition and the player pool, eight teams played in a regional qualifier from which two teams in Dibba Oil and Japineh FC qualified to the third division, thus ensuring an eight-team league beginning the 2021 season.
He also described women’s football as a key priority area of the RFA, noting that plans have already begun to encourage more women participation in football across the region. Notwithstanding, he affirmed, the women’s league is now played annually in his region and at the end of the 2019 season, Harts Academy won promotion to the national second division. He described the achievement as unprecedented and marked a turning point in changing the perspective of a deeply conservative society towards women’s participation in the sport.
“An intensive eight days regional training on basic and intermediate refereeing was held in 2019 to help, amongst other things, strengthen the capacity of the regional referees, acquaint participants on the laws of the game as well as educate them on the cooperation between the referees and the assistance referees during matches,” he added, noting that coaches training for female teachers, facilitated by the GFF, was also consulted by his leadership in Soma.
The event was also attended by the leadership of the GFF on the invitation of the RFA. The President, Mr. Lamin Kaba Bajo, led a delegation from Football House that include the First Vice President responsible for Administration & Finance, Mr. Bakary K. Jammeh, the General Secretary Mr. Lamin Jassey and the Communications & Marketing Director, Mr. Baboucarr Camara.
Addressing delegates after the re-election of the Executive, Mr. Bajo described the decision as very wise, noting that the historic qualification to a maiden AFCON is enough reason. He said the role of regional football associations are very important to the football development in terms of policy decision making. He said all presidents of the RFAs are members of the Executive Committee of the GFF, all of which have an equal say in decision making and thus played critical roles in the recent upward trajectory in football development in The Gambia.
He described the LRRFA as a pacesetter in regional football development because they have the capacity to implement the programs of the GFF effectively despite the challenges they’re faced with. He added that the number of competitions in the region has increased tremendously, especially in terms of grassroots football with the national second division league also been played in the region for two consecutive seasons without a problem.
“Having three teams in the national second division is an unprecedented achievement and you can be assured of the GFF’s increased support to your programs,” he concluded.
