The pilot phase of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) grassroots Football tournament ended on Thursday June 20 at the Independence Stadium in Bakau with St Joseph’s Lower Basic from Banjul and Kembujeh LBS from the West Coast Region capping off the Finals as Winners in the Female and Male categories respectively.
This was preceded by a month long grassroots football tournament by Lower Basic schools in Banjul, Kanifing and West Coast Region where kids within the age bracket of 12 at both male and female competed for the Regional silverware. The grand finale was contested by winners from the respective regions at the National Stadium in Bakau.
After an intriguing round robin format of the matches for either of the categories, it was St Joseph’s Lower Basic School from Banjul Region that emerged as overall winners in the Girls category while Kembujeh triumphed over their rivals in the boys’ cadre and eventually crowned as the two best schools as per the tournament Finals with lots of fanfare.
Both categories were awarded giant trophies and each school also given out a brand new match ball all donated by the Gambia Football Federation.
Speaking to the Gambia Football Federation in house medium, Technical Director Sang Ndong said the initiative was borne out by the Executive of the Gambia Football Federation to search out and cajole talents at the schools and grassroots systems within the age bracket of 12 and below. “This is a pilot phase and at the end of the finals, we will keep monitoring them and extend it to the regions and wrap it up with a National jamboree at the National Technical Training Centre in Yundum”. He said the Technical Department plans to extend it much further to the regions in July as a nationwide project “because the GFF Executive sees the need to cover the whole country”.
Mr Ndong congratulated the winners and also thanked the Regional Football Coaches and PE Teachers for putting up a very good Final. He further thanked the GFF for the support in fulfilling what has been a strong promise to the stakeholders.
Banjul Region was represented by St Joseph’s in the female and Albion in the male while KM were represented by Old Jeshwang in both male and female and West Coast Region been represented by Brikama in the female category and Kembujeh in the male.
Present at the Finals were GFF 2nd Vice President Ebou Faye and Executive Committee members and also including GFF Technical and Development Committee member Alh Cherno Barra Touray.