Gambian President His Excellency Mr Adama Barrow has donated D250,000:00 ( Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dalasis ) as his personal contribution to the Gambia National U-20 on Friday May 11th at a ceremony held at the State House premises when he invited the Young Scorpions upon their WAFU victory in Liberia.
The donated cash amount was handed to the team through the GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo at the end of the meeting with President Barrow. The handing over of the cash was presented to the team by GFF General Secretary Lamin M Jassey through the team captain Basirou Mbye along side Head Coach Mattar Mboge.
This follows the Young Scorpions’ triumphant Victory at the recently concluded WAFU Finals in Liberia where the Gambia emerged Champions.
The team and delegation were led to State House by GFF PRESIDENT LAMIN KABBA BAJO and Executive Committee members of the Gambia Football Federation.
PRESIDENT Barrow first congratulated the Young Scorpions for their unbeaten run throughout the tournament and thanked them for been good ambassadors of the Gambia.
‘I am very pleased and honored because this is a big achievement in the history of the New Gambia’. PRESIDENT Barrow cut short his annual leave to see with the Young Scorpions and congratulated them for doing a very good job. “Despite been on my holiday in the village, I decide to create time to see with you and as PRESIDENT of the Gambia, I am really proud and I must say that you have done great for the country’.
An ardent Football fan and follower of the game, PRESIDENT Barrow said he follows Football at every level and Gambian Football in particular. He recalled the hey days of Alh Njie Biri, Father Laus, Bill Badjie, Sang NDONG, Sheikh Ndure and so on which according to him have all done great for the country ‘ but have never won even the zone two. So the team having won it for the first time for the country is a great achievement and every Gambian is proud of this’.
Mr Barrow however advised the sports fraternity to open a window of reconciliation in the interest of New Gambia. He said the football Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports must come together if they aim to go far for any meaningful development. ‘But today Football is back in the Gambia and since we are in the 21st century, countries are moving’.
PRESIDENT Barrow finally assured the Football Federation that government will give them all the support.
Earlier GFF PRESIDENT LAMIN KABBA BAJO thanked PRESIDENT Barrow for his congratulatory message he dispatched to the National U-20 team upon winning the WAFU tournament. He further thanked the Football loving PRESIDENT for cutting his leave short purposely to see with the National U-20 team.
‘We are very humbled and honored to be received by your high Office and this clearly demonstrate your love and affection for Gambian Football’. Mr BAJO informed the PRESIDENT that the glory of the country winning a Regional tournament has eluded the Gambia for many decades hence the incessant instability in our Football. ‘The road has been tough for us since our assumption into Office but we appreciated your government’s strides in the overall development of the country including the Youth and Sports sector’. Mr BAJO however appealed to government through the Head of State to continue such trends between the Football leadership and Government. ‘As a football fan and been the Chief Patron of the GFF, I have no doubt in my mind that you can do that and beyond it’.
Mr BAJO again appealed to the PRESIDENT to address some constrains confronted by the GFF. ‘We need some very urgent intervention and that is the issue of the National Team Head Coach for the Gambia. We are engaged in AfCON Qualifier and need to play a friendly international in June ahead of the Qualifier but there isn’t any coach for the National team for now and we as such indulge your high Office to intervene in that area’.
Young Scorpions Head Coach Mattar Mboge also spoke at the ceremony and thanked PRESIDENT Barrow for accepting to receive the team at State House. He equally appealed to government for their intervention in motivating the team to be able to reach to more and higher glories
