The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) yesterday began a four-day FIFA/Olympic Solidarity Coaching Course for 20 participants drawn from first and second division clubs in the male and female category at the Football Hotel in Old Yundum. The programme, jointly organised by The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GN0C), will run through from 15th to 19th March, 2019.
Mr. Lamin Kaba Bajo, the President of the GFF, in delivering his opening remarks described capacity building as key to the development agenda of his Executive Committee, noting that coaches are very important in football because they implement the laws of the game. “Referees enforce the laws of the game but is the coaches that implement the laws in the field of play by given the right instructions to their players,” he emphasised.
Mr. Bajo, who doubles as the Second Vice President of the GNOC, said as a board member of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), he will continue to dig deep for more opportunities for football and its stakeholders, noting that later this year there will be B and C License courses for coaches. Thus, he enjoined the participants to take the course seriously and participate in all the sessions. “Sports is participatory so I encourage all of you to participate and take this four days training very serious and everything learnt here should be implemented in your various teams,” he said.
Other speakers during the opening ceremony includes the Secretary General of the GNOC, Mr. Abdoulie Jallow, the GFF Technical Director, Mr. Sang John Ndong and Course Director Mr. Serguei Aleinikov. They all emphasised the importance of the course as paramount. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Lamin M. Jassey, the General Secretary of the GFF.
Reporting by Ebrima Suwareh and Editing by Baboucarr Camara