A five days Fitness and Conditioning Course for GFF League Div 1 and 2 Clubs is currently underway at the National Technical Training Center in Yundum.
The Course is the first of its kind in the Gambia and is been organized by the Gambia Football Federation and funded by FIFA. The aim of the course principally amongst others is to enhance the knowledge of Coaches on fitness and conditioning training which according to participants is the main stay of keeping players focused on the game.
The training opened on Saturday 30th November and will run until Saturday 4th December, 2019. Speaking at the opening ceremony, GFF General Secretary Lamin M Jassey implored on the Coaches and participants to make good use of the training opportunity. He said the training is a very important exercise and thus all participants should endeavor meeting up the expectations. “This is not about only having a certificate or knowledge but is to learn and transfer the knowledge to the players”. The GFF Scribe said the Federation as part of their core mandate will develop football across the board which involves technical aspect of the game as the most important component. “We concentrate more on competition, forgetting about the technical aspects of the game. This is why, we want to change that spectrum to organize series of training courses which includes this one”, he noted.
Training Instructor Dr Zakaria lapsy is a FIFA book author and a French national, said he is in the Gambia to help in the education of Coaches to have knowledge and skills on fitness and conditioning training of players. He said fitness and conditioning are a single tool that works differently for professional clubs. “I hope this course will give us the opportunity to exchange our knowledge”. Dr Zakaria was a former Fitness and conditioning trainer for PSG and St Etiene Football Clubs.