Gambia's track Queen Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye who won gold medals in both the women's 100 and 200m events of the 13th African Games in Ghana, has been handed one million dalasi by the government of the Gambia.
The cheque was presented to her by the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia Muhammed BS Jallow, who commended Gina for representing the country well and assured her and the rest of President Barrow's continuous support.
Gina was accompanied to the State House by the Youth and Sports Minister, Bakary Badjie, and other senior officials of the Ministry.
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Musa Barrow, the dynamic forward for Al-Taawoun F.C., is steadily making his mark as one of the standout talents in the Saudi Pro League. With an impressive tally of 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions, Barrow's contributions have been pivotal for his team.In a recent match against Al-Ahli, Barrow showcased his exceptional skill with a stunning goal from almost 30 yards out, despite his team's eventual 4-2 defeat. This breathtaking strike underlined his ability to change the course of a game with just one moment of brilliance.Currently, Barrow and Al-Taawoun F.C. find themselves positioned 9th in the Saudi Pro League standings, accumulating 18 points from 13 matches. As he continues to grow in confidence and form, fans eagerly anticipate what this talented player will bring to the pitch next.
Yankuba Minteh is expected to play a pivotal part in the Gambia's attempt for a 3rd consecutive AFCON qualification. Minteh, who has been nursing an injury, is included in coach Jonathan Mckinstry's squad to face Comoros and Tunisia in the decisive final two games of the AFCON qualifiersThe wing wizard has sat out Brighton's last five games, including the famous 2-1 win over champions Manchester City at the Amex stadium. His absence from Fabian Hurzeler's squad has raised worrying concerns in the Gambia ahead of the decisive qualifiers, but GRTS Sports has been reliably informed that Minteh has been training for the last two weeks and trained 100% last week.Brighton and Hove Albion have released the player to join the Scorpions despite the Seagulls preferring him to stay.The 20-year-old who has become an integral member since breaking into the national team is determined to help the Scorpions secure their place in Morroco 2025 and has opted to join the national team in Morocco.Yankuba is key and a potential difference maker for the Scorpions as Brighton's summer signing has netted 4 goals in 10 appearances for The Gambia, making the presence of a fit Yankuba Minteh very vital in the crucial and decisive upcoming qualifying games on the 15th and 18th November 2024.
As the final round of qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) approaches, the players face a pivotal moment that could determine the fate of Gambia's national team.Coach Johnathan McKinstry has announced a carefully selected squad that is poised for action, starting with a crucial match against Comoros on November 15, 2024, set to take place in Morocco.Following this encounter, the team will head to Tunisia for their decisive qualifier on 18 November 2024.The stakes are high for the Scorpions of The Gambia; a victory over Comoros, paired with a draw against Tunisia, could secure their place in the prestigious AFCON tournament for the third consecutive time. With the weight of national pride on their shoulders, the players are eager to demonstrate their skill and determination on the field.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has determined that the Gambia is currently unable to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers following a recent assessment of the renovation works funded by the Gambia government. The inspection identified that the stadium requires further enhancements to the playing surface before it can be approved for any CAF or FIFA matches.While acknowledging the successful renovations overall, CAF noted that the condition of the pitch necessitates improvements to qualify for Category 3 matches. CAF expressed appreciation for the significant advancements made at the facility, commending the Government of The Gambia, the Gambia Football Federation (GFF), and the stadium management. Key areas of improvement included the dressing rooms, spectator stands, media zones, hospitality services, and essential structural elements. These enhancements represent a constructive step towards compliance with CAF and FIFA standards.Moreover, CAF has offered to assist the Gambia by providing a pitch specialist consultant to facilitate the necessary preparations, ensuring that the playing surface meets all requirements for future senior international matches.The Ministry extends its apologies to the public, who have been eagerly anticipating the return of the Scorpions to their home grounds. In light of this feedback, the Ministry will accept CAF’s proposal to engage a pitch specialist consultant to aid in the essential improvements.
After sending video and picture evidence of the completion of the remodelling and renovation of the Independence Stadium works to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), temporal approval has been given by CAF for The Gambia to host home matches.However, CAF will send inspectors for physical confirmation to ascertain if the pictures sent match with CAF's requirements.A senior official at the Ministry of Youth and Sports has told GRTS that, 'we've received confirmation that temporal approval has been given for the usage of the stadium for CAF matches.''But inspectors will have to come for physical confirmation, possibly before November. We are hopeful that final approval will be given because the evidence sent to them is what is on the ground.''So there is a 100% chance that we will play our game against Comoros at home' he said.After CAF banned the Gambia from hosting home matches due to a substandard stadium, the government of the Gambia under the leadership of H.E Adama Barrow has spent over 280 million dalasi to renovate the Independence Stadium to the required CAF standards.
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.
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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