Gambia: Pap Saine Calls for Stronger Bond, Unity in SJAG

By Adama K. Jallow

The Honorary Life President of the Sports Journalists Association of the Gambia (SJAG), Alhaji Pap Saine, over the weekend called for more unity among members of SJAG for the good of the association.

Mr Saine, who was the first president of the association in The Gambia, spoke briefly before the conduct of the association's congress held on Saturday at the GRTS building in Kanifing, where Sainabou Kujabi-Njie was re-elected for the second time in office to run the affairs of the association.

Mr Saine told members of SJAG to be united and constructive in their criticism of affairs of the association as well as respect their leaders.

He added that members should affiliate with media organizations and carry out their work to the best of their ability to be recognised, trusted and given responsibility to serve in any capacity in any organization of their choice.

Mr Saine commended the outgoing executive for a job well done as well as called on the new executive to take up the mantle with high responsibility and continue the good work of the outgoing executive, especially in keeping the tradition of organizing the annual awards of sports personalities.

"As we conduct SJAG congress today, my central message will be more of advice to sports journalists in the country. As journalists, we are shapers of the hearts and minds of the people who read our papers, listen to and watch our news and reports over the radio and on TV," he advised.

"We therefore owe a great deal of responsibility to our readers and audience in ensuring that we are objective in discharging our duties and role of news dissemination, for inaccuracies and biased reports destroy trust and create confusion and problems in society. To avoid creating such situations, we are all advised to be always accurate and objective in our reporting activity," he pointed out.

He further thanked Mrs Sainabou Kujabi-Njie for her dedication and commitment to duties, saying Kujabi served as sports editor, amid other functions and tasks, at his newspaper The Point for many years.

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byUnknown

in Calls, Gambia, News From Africa, Saine, Stronger, Unity

15:15

Gambia: Pap Saine Calls for Stronger Bond, Unity in SJAG

By Adama K. Jallow The Honorary Life President of the Sports Journalists Association of the Gambia (SJAG), Alhaji Pap Saine, over the weeken...

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Gambia: Physical Planning Department Not Responsible for Demolition of National Tourist Guides' Office Developing Story

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byUnknown

in Demolition, department, Developing, Gambia, Guides, national, Office, Physical, Planning, Responsible, Story, Tourist, Travel Africa

03:32

Gambia: Physical Planning Department Not Responsible for Demolition of National Tourist Guides' Office Developing Story

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Gambia: Yarambamba Beat Real, Newtown Held

Yarambamba Estate Football Club of Yundum Sunday defeated Real de Busumbala 2-1 at the ongoing Brikama nawettan competition while Newtown was forced to settle for a draw with Conge BI FC. Both games were played at the Box Bar mini-stadium.

Both teams pressed forward for the opener but it was Yarambamba that drew first blood when Omar Fatty capitalised on a defensive let off to give his side the lead after 16 minutes. First half ended 1-0 and Lamin Jabang extended the Estate boys' lead in the 56 minutes and even though Real de Busumbala pulled a goal back in the closing minutes of the game, Yarambamba held on for all three points.

In the late game of the same day, Conge Bi and Newtown FC, both of Brikama, played a goalless stalemate. Newtown were the better side in the encounter but failed to transform their dominance into fruition and they were nearly made to pay for it when they were caught napping at the back, but keeper Lamin Sarr quickly came off his line to avert the danger.

Speaking in a post-match interview, Sarjo Sanyang, the coach of Newtown, told this reporter: "Scoring today was our problem. I was expecting at least to go home with a goal and I am disappointed that we could not win the game. But still the performance of the boys was not bad even though there is still room for improvement."

He added: "I'm expecting more from them next game. We drew the first match so we should try and win our next two games, and if we win our next game, it will have been easier for us in our next game. I cannot say I will win by force but will make sure we win our upcoming games."

For his part, Ebrima Jatta, the coach of Conge-Bi noted that seven points would be enough to send his side into the knockout stages of the competition. "In Brikama here, going to the quarterfinal is difficult, not to talk of the finals but we will try all our best to set a record," he asserted.

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byUnknown

in Gambia, Newtown, Sports, Yarambamba

01:06

Gambia: Yarambamba Beat Real, Newtown Held

Yarambamba Estate Football Club of Yundum Sunday defeated Real de Busumbala 2-1 at the ongoing Brikama nawettan competition while Newtown wa...

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Gambia: Coaches Tasked to Take CAF C Licence Course Seriously

By Alieu Ceesay

The deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports has urged participants to take the CAF Level C coaching course seriously. Abdoulie Kah was speaking yesterday while presiding over the opening ceremony of the two-week coaching clinic currently underway at the National Technical Training Centre in Yundum.

The course, which will wrap up on September 15 is a prerequisite for the 2015 CAF football competitions and thus the Gambia Football Federation has drawn 42 participants from the first and second division clubs with representatives from all the regional football associations.

DPS Kah, on behalf of Minister Alieu K Jammeh, thanked the normalisation committee for the initiative and its efforts in ensuring that the course takes place since several attempts were made without success. "It shows the interest they have in the development of the human resource base of those interested in the development of football, without which the much talked about excellence in sports will remain a dream that will not be realised," he indicated.

Kah did not hesitate to thank the country's football development partners, particularly the Confederation of African Football for facilitating the conduct of the course by providing not only the financial support but also the competent resource persons needed. Citing that coaching has moved from volunteerism to a source of meaningful and gainful employment, the DPS said competence will not be compromised, and therefore urged the participants to take the course seriously if they are to progress in their careers.

According to him, the training could not have come at a better time than now, when the country's football is faced with so many problems. "We have also observed with dismay an increase number of violence in sports, particularly football, which is mostly triggered by the coaching staff. I want to believe that at the end of this training course, we will begin to see difference in the game of football - [something] that will generate public interest. The government of The Gambia will continue to create the enabling environment for the youth that have interest in the game to excel."

Also speaking at the ceremony, Hon. Alhagie Sillah, chairman of the normalisation committee, said the training was historic, in the sense that it was facilitated during his stay in office. The importance of the training course, he said cannot be overemphasised, as many African countries have already done the training for their coaches.

While urging the coaches to take the training seriously, Hon. Sillah thanked the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and staff of the Football Federation for making the training a reality.

"Gambians are in a habit of not respecting what we produced but can I also tell you that Prophets are not respected in their countries of origin. Lamin Sarr is our product and works for CAF as an instructor, but are we utilising him? No! If The Gambia does not use him, it is the country that losses because whatever it is CAF will give him job and he will have food to put on his table. Let us try to use what we have," he told the coaches, while urging them to respect and support one another.

Lamin Sarr, the course instructor, informed the participants that there will be an examination at the end of the two-week session to assess the performance of the coaches. Describing coaching as a noble profession, Sarr, a former police officer, urged the participants to take the training seriously, listen keenly and ask questions.

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byUnknown

in Coaches, Course, Gambia, Licence, Seriously, Sports, Tasked

22:05

Gambia: Coaches Tasked to Take CAF C Licence Course Seriously

By Alieu Ceesay The deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports has urged participants to take the CAF Level C coaching c...

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Gambia: Gambian Player Back Resurrecting Career

Denied doing what he does best, Alagie Sosseh has resurfaced rekindling his career.

The 27-year-old capped at international level with Gambia thrice was left to wonder in the wilderness after Norway's Football Association ruled him ineligible to play football in the Scandinavian country even after signing a contract.

The Norwegian FA based its argument on a controversial clause made active for the first time since its enactment by barring Sosseh, a Gambian, from playing football on a fickle basis that he'd been contracted by three different clubs -two in Norway, one in Sweden - in a single season.

The entire story line is one of a peculiar nature. It occurred that Sosseh was released by third tier Swedish outfit AFC United after the club -initially buoyed by his acquisition -declared they could no longer meet the player's 'lucrative' wage demands in the middle of the season.

The incident reeled in after the Swedish transfer window had closed making any further move to a competitive league within Sweden out of the equation and impossible.

But determined to secure employment, Alagie was forced to cross the border to neighbouring Norway where he found solace with Bierkeriem in the third division who signed him for three months.

The reason behind the move was to keep his fitness level until the transfer window opens when he would secure a trial and possibly get signed to a bigger club.

That chance came by with Fredrikstad from the second tier -keen to bolster their front line - handing a test - an audition he passed and later signed a contract.

The club had done that in the belief that Sosseh is unattached and is a free agent and acted swiftly by applying for work permit on behalf of the forward to the Norwegian FA.

However, to Sosseh and Fredrikstad dismay, the Norwegian FA turned down the permit request insisting Sosseh has featured in three different clubs in under a single season - a move that caused stir prompting strong condemnations from the Norway Players' Association slamming the rule outdated.

The FA president even at one time conceded the unpopular law denies footballers employment but maintained he's helpless. As if that wasn't enough blow, Alagie was to take in another disappointment when Fredrikstad terminated his contract without pay.

Having grown flummoxed, the frustrated erstwhile Sirius captain returned to Sweden to play with a club in the fifth division -like previously - to rake in the minutes ahead of a return and a potential transfer at the end of the season.

And in June he returned to Norway to broker an agreement with Abdou Darboe's former club Mjondalen in the second tier.

Thus, as way of repaying the club faith in him, the defender-turned attacker nabbed in three goals in as twenty-one games and nailing a spot in the starting line-up as Mjondalen makes an attempt to secure promotion to the Norwegian Premier League where Tijan Jaiteh currently plies his trade.

Sosseh and co sit within the promotion play-off places but will require upping their tempo to grab automatic promotion which could be daunting but achievable to avoid getting their spirit dashed in the final hour in the hussle and bustle akin with promotion play-offs.

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byUnknown

in Career, Gambia, Gambian, Player, Resurrecting, Sports

10:21

Gambia: Gambian Player Back Resurrecting Career

Denied doing what he does best, Alagie Sosseh has resurfaced rekindling his career. The 27-year-old capped at international level with Gambi...

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Africa: NAMs Ratify OAU/AU Cultural Charters

The Gambia National Assembly Thursday, 21st August ratified the cultural charters of the Organisation of African Union and the African Union 1976 and 2006 respectively. The two charters are formulated by the African Heads of states at the thirteen Ordinary Sessions in Maurituis 1976 and Khartoum 2006.

byUnknown

in Africa, Bala Garba Jahumpa, Charters, Cultural, Entertainment, Gambia, Khartoum, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, News From Africa, Niamina Dankunku, Niamina West, OAUAU, Pan-Africanism, Ratify

03:43

Africa: NAMs Ratify OAU/AU Cultural Charters

The Gambia National Assembly Thursday, 21st August ratified the cultural charters of the Organisation of African Union and the African Union...

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