The passing on of former Gambia Football Association (GFA) President Mr George Gomez which sad event occurred on Tuesday 1st September 2020, has struck the country into tears and thorns of tributes are pouring in eulogizing the late football baron described as “fountain of knowledge“.
Media guru and veteran sports analyst Mr Pap Saine of The Point Newspaper has joined the array of sympathizers who also described the late sports icon as a man with an unparalleled knowledge of sports management.
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Mr George Gomez, a veteran sports administrator, an ex-footballer and an athlete who also served as president of The Gambia Football Association, now Federation, from 1990 to 1992 died on Tuesday night. He was 82. He had also served as executive member of the Association for several years.
He played for Atomic, Augustinians, the then Gambia National team called Gambia 11, and was also a 800m runner for Banjul Athletics Team.
He was among those who defeated Senegal in Dakar in 1962, the last time The Gambia defeated Senegal (3- 2) during the Kwame Nkrumah Trophy which was an international competition.
The players were in that team were Amou Taal, George Gomez, Salifou Ndour, Ousman Sillah, Max Njie, Lie Ngum, Sol Jeng, Ekou Forbes, Musa Jobarteh, Hassan Jallow, Solomon Gomez, Pa Willie Ndour, Solomon Gomez and Nyamsou Sambou. Goal scorers for The Gambia during that game were: Eku Forbes, George Gomez and Solomon Gomez.
He served as Executive Secretary of The Gambia National Olympic Committee, as well as chairman of the interim consultative committee from 1998 to 2000 to set up Gambia National Sports Council.
The late Mr. Gomez also served as an Executive Committee Member of the Gambia Football Association (GFA) from 1978 to 1982.
He was also Interim National Football Coach for the Gambia Scorpions between 1978 and 1979 with the late coach Kebba Njie.
The late veteran administrator also served as Executive Secretary of The Gambia National Olympic and sports committee between 1991 to 2004 (the first Gambian to occupy this post).
Mr Gomez later became Executive Director of GNOC between 2004 and 2010.
He also served as Chef de mission in many Olympic Games including 1996 and 2008 Olympic editions. The late Football guru was also the Chairman of Scholar Athlete for change in 2009.
He further went on to serve as member of the Independence Stadium board for two terms from 2000 to 2008.
Dodou Capi Joof, president of The Gambia National Olympic told The Point “we lost one of the pillars of sports because he was a good organizer and administrator.”
George F Gomez was an all rounder and an initiator. He even initiated the Senegambia Run for integration.
“We have lost a sports veteran whose role was to see the development of youth and sports,” he further said, adding that he was internationally well known.
Author- Mr Pap Saine, The Point Newspaper
