Gambian swimmer Aminata Nia Maria Barrow missed a semi-final spot in women's 100m breaststroke as she came out 4th in heat one.
The swimmer covered the distance at a timing of 1:15:12, which was not good enough to earn her a pole position.
This was a debut for Aminata in the Olympics, and she made history by becoming the first-ever female swimmer to represent The Gambia at the Olympic Games.
Other Gambian athletes like Judoka Faye Njie will compete on Monday, 29 August, in the men's 73kg fight.
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The Gambia National Team coach Johnathan McKinstry has unveiled a 24-man squad ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.In what will be their quest for a third AFCON appearance, The Gambia will first take on Comoros on September 4th, before playing against Tunisia on September 8th. All the two matches will take place in Morocco as both the national stadiums of both The Gambia and Comoros are banned by CAF for failing to meet the required standards.
Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye, The Gambia's most decorated athlete, narrowly missed qualifying for the Women's 200m finals, marking the end of her 2024 Paris Olympics journey. Even though she ran her season best of 22.66 seconds, that was not enough as she finished 4th in the Women's 200m semifinals.Gina had previously won gold in the Women's 100m and 200m at the 2024 African Games, as well as gold in the Women's 100m at the 2024 African Senior Athletics Championship.Although she reached the semifinals in both the Women's 100m and 200m at the Paris Olympics, she fell short of making it to the finals.This was Gina's third consecutive appearance at the Olympics.
For many young people, in the Upper River Region, business is the only way out, while others rely on farming to earn a living, but that is not the case for one young lady. Kaddy Sawaneh decided to take on a totally different calling as she moved to become a professional football referee. Growing up as a kid, Kaddy Sawaneh said she developed a passion for the trade after seeing referees officiating games. "I admire it a lot when I see assistant referees running on the touchlines and raising flags."That encounter shaped her passion for the game, and she has since started pursuing refereeing as a career. A former sprint athlete at Tahir and Mahaad Senior Secondary Schools, sports have long been part of Kaddy's life. After completing her schooling at Mahaad, she ventured into refereeing in 2021, and fast forward to the 2024 season, she started officiating in the Gambia Football Federation Second Division League, after completing many tests including intense fitness routines. "After my schooling, I told my mum since it's difficult to have employment. I would like to do refereeing, but that comes with insults. She advised me to stay patient and look at my future." Kaddy said."So, I joined the West Coast Region Referees Association. We were given a course, cooper test, and training.""A day before the Cooper test, I vomited at the training ground because I didn't know how to run it. Many thought I would fail the fitness test, but when we went for the fitness (cooper) test, I completed it." She added.Kaddy's mother, Sunkarr Bah, said she is not bothered by the insults her daughter is concerned about. "When she told me about the insults, I told her to stay calm and respectful. Since they are not coming to my house to insult me, I'm not even aware. She should not even be bothered to respond or have problems with anyone, Sunkarr said.Maintaining a clear balance between her social life and her greatest passion is never a problem for the young referee.Every day, the young lady said she would do all her chores on time before heading out to the field for routine training with her colleagues and is committed to the training as in a real game situation. From training to real game situations, Kaddy is usually included on a male panel for tougher games, including finals, She follows game action with keen interest. A great pace and eye for detail are required, but she gives her best to avoid missing anything. The passionate lady is gradually going on to become a true success story in female refereeing across the regions. Kaddy became the first female to be included on a panel for a Regional Third-Division final when she served as an assistant referee in a mouthwatering clash between Garawol and Sabi at the Basse mini stadium on June 29, 2024, where she demonstrated a great understanding of the game and a high level of confidence in a highly attended final that ended 2 - 1 to Garawol. "I brought her to the Upper River Region so she can inspire many females. As of now, we have four ladies who ventured into refereeing in URR because of Kaddy." Alagie Mendy a referee said."Anytime I play with her, she is always above the level. I've been receiving a lot of positive comments about her performances. That means she is on track to becoming great." Alagie stated.Officiating in environments highly dominated by men will require courage, which is manifested by her, as she continues to play games across the Lower and Upper River Region.Even in situations where there is no security, the young Kaddy will still muster the courage to officiate. When attempts are made to attack her, she says she is never intimidated as she always stays focused on the game. "It's risky, but it builds your confidence as a budding referee." She said.Kaddy knows being a referee, especially in a male-dominated setting, is tough, but officiating football matches is what she has now chosen as a dream. "I wouldn't allow the threats and insults to stand between me and my dream. I want to be remembered like Papa Gassama and others." Kaddy said. Born and raised in the Lower River Region settlement of Pakalinding, the young female referee is from a family that is clearly behind her decision to pursue refereeing as a career. Both the mother, Sunkarr Bah and the father Wuyeh Sawaneh, said they cannot financially support their daughter to pursue her dream of becoming an international referee, but they are constantly encouraging and praying for her while calling on people to support her in any way possible. "If you are not from a strong family, you can only appeal for support. If I can have people to support my daughter to achieve her dreams, I will be grateful." Sunkarr Bah said. The young assistant referee is the "only hope of her family," and she said she believes that someday, she will use refereeing to change the lives of her family and community. "I'm a poor lady who depends on refereeing to support my family. My mother works as an office janitor. Since I started refereeing, I've been helping them, especially this year, I bought two bags of rice for my mother. I would like to do more by the time I achieve my dreams." The passionate young referee said.For now, the focus of the young referee is to continue developing while eying the international FIFA and CAF refereeing badges.
The Gambia sent a record number of athletes (seven) for the first time such a number represents the Gambia in an Olympic event. This is the Gambia's biggest representation in the Olympics history.
Gambia's wing-wizard Yankuba Minteh has made an immediate impact for Brighton and Hove Albion as he started and scored two goals in two preseason games for the Seagulls. The youngster scored a brilliant goal in his debut after he skipped past two defenders before slotting into the net against Kashima in Tokyo. Minteh again scored a sublime curl as Brighton wrapped up their preseason tour in Japan with a 4-2 win over Tokyo Verdy on Sunday, 28 July 2024.Minteh and his Brighton side are set to return to England, where they will play with Queen Park Rangers at Loftus Road on August 3rd, before wrapping up their pre-season preparations with a final test game in front of the home crowd at Falmer Stadium against the Spanish side Villareal. Brighton will open their 2024-25 Premier League campaign with an away trip to Goodison Park against Everton on August 17, before hosting Manchester United on August 27 and then another tough trip to North London on August 31 for a clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Minteh, who was bought from Newcastle for a fee in excess of 30 million pounds, is expected to carry his preseason form into the new Premier League.With this preseason performance and his performance for Feyenoord last season, where he scored 11 goals, including in the Champions League during his loan spell from Newcastle, Minteh is showing all indications of becoming a new revelation when the Premier League season starts.
Through the Ministry of Youth & Sports, the Government of the Gambia has issued a diplomatic passport to The Gambia and Africa's sprint sensation, Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye. Gina will now enjoy fewer visa restrictions, access to diplomatic channels, and exemptions from transportation taxes, among other VIP treatments accorded to diplomats. The transportation challenges the Queen of the tracks faced when travelling for competitions could now become a thing of the past.
Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye has signed an endorsement deal with Qcell Gambia Limited to become their global brand ambassador. She is preparing to return to Paris for a training camp ahead of the Paris Olympics, where she will join over 10,000 athletes competing in various track and field events from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
The Scorpions of The Gambia are drawn alongside Comoros, Madagascar, and Tunisia in Group A, as they hope to make a third successive return to the AFCON. 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of four. Teams will play each other in a home and away fixture, and the top two teams in each group will qualify for the tournament. For a group that consists of the host, Morocco, they will qualify alongside the team that finishes above the remaining teams in the group.The qualifiers are set to start in early September and end in November 2024.
The Scorpions of the Gambia, who last recorded a win (3-2) against S. Sudan - in AFCON Qualifiers in Egypt on June 14, 2023, ended their six-game winless run as they registered a comprehensive 5 - 1 win over Seychelles in round three of the 2026 FIFA World Qualifiers. Muhammed Badamosi scored a brace, and Musa Barrow netted a penalty with Yankuba Minteh and debutant Adama Sidibeh, each scoring once in a tie played in Morocco due to the ban on Gambia's Stadium by both CAF and FIFA for lack of standards.Henriette scored the consolation for the struggling Seychelles, who are still without a win in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers after three games.Coach Jonathan McKinstry started his mission with a convincing victory as he sent a strong statement of intent about his ambition of transforming Gambia's style of football (from a defensive to a more proactive approach) in what was his first game as the Scorpions coach.The Gambia will travel to Franceville to take on Gabon in round four of the World Cup Qualifiers on June 11 2024.
Jonathan McKinstry, the new coach of the Gambia National Male Football Team, eyes starting his reign as the Scorpions coach on a positive note when the Gambia take on Seychelles. "We are looking for a good performance against Seychelles on Saturday," he said."I've got a very clear idea about how I believe the team can play. It aligns very well with my philosophy on the game.""It's very much for square pegs for square holes. We want players to play in positions they are very much comfortable with. We want them to do what they are best at. What they are doing for their clubs week in and week out," Jonny said in an interview with the GFF Media. The Gambia lost their first two games against Ivory Coast and Burundi in the World Cup Qualifiers. The Northern Irish tactician can send a positive impression if he is able to register a victory against Seychelles, who also lost their first two games in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.The Gambia will play against Seychelles on June 8 in Morocco before travelling to Franceville to take on Gabon in what will be Jonathan McKinstry's second game in charge of the Scorpions.
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