The Gambia Football Federation has again manifested its magnanimity to the Gambia Deaf Sports Association with another pleasant but generous donation of a full set of jersey and four match balls to the Executive of the sports body when the Committee called on the President Lamin Kaba Bajo at his Football House in Kanifing on Monday 19th August.
The donations came on the background of a request by the Deaf Sports Association ahead of their Regional Football tournament in Sierra Leone in 2019.
Welcoming the Association at Football House, GFF 3rd Vice President General Lang Tombong Tamba said Football House is pleased to have received a partner in football development and as Gambians, ” we are also obliged to support you with the little we have”. He said the GFF is always opened to partners and thus will give support and work with ” people that are associated with us”.
For his part GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo also welcomed the Deaf Sports Association to Football House. He briefly told the Committee about the membership of the GFF stating that it is made up of League clubs, allied associations that federate to form the umbrella body GFF. He noted that the finances of the Federation are sub -vented by FIFA and only meant for members of the Federation that are subsequently audited. ” FIFA auditors came here just last week to see how the funds are used”, Bajo informed the team.
He said the GFF is aware of their constraints and will do its quota although bigger responsibilities as a federation are ahead of the GFF. ” There is no legal binding between the Gambia Deaf Sports Association and the GFF but we will do our best. We have our priorities based on how FIFA money is been spent”. Mr Bajo however, expressed GFF’s desire to continue partnering with the Deaf Sports Association to promote and develop football in the Gambia. ” Our priorities are many and these include senior national team’s engagements ahead of the AFCON and World Cup Qualifiers, friendly matches for all national teams etc”.
A set of jerseys ( 20 infield players and two goal keepers ) and four match balls were later announced by President Bajo as token to the Deaf Sports in preparation ahead of their regional tournament to be hosted by Sierra Leone later in 2019.
Receiving the items, President of the Association Lamin Ceesay expressed gratitude to the GFF for the ” big donation”. Speaking through an interpreter, Ceesay said since the assumption of the Kaba led Executive into the helm of Football in the Gambia in 2014, ” it is the only your Exco that has ever supported my Association and that is why we see you as the most competent Executive”, President Ceesay highlighted. He said the items would help the team in their Regional tournament. Vice President of the Regional Sports tournament, Ceesay is equally a member of the Coordinating Committee for the Freetown tourney and does hope that the Gambia will participate in the event.
“What you have given us is very big and we cherish it so well. It has never happened in the history of Deaf Sports history”. He recalled the GFF again been the first entity to have provided them mobility in the form of a motorbike to access their programs and engagements. ” It is only GFF that support us and that is why anywhere we go to seek for support, they direct us to come to GFF”, he noted.
Other speakers include Deaf Sports Association Executive members Ndey Ceesay and Lamin Sanyang. The meeting was also attended by GFF General Secretary Lamin M Jassey and HR and Admin Manager Dr Demba Darboe.
