Support Our Young Stars

We extend our sincerest congratulations to The Gambia U-17 soccer team who defeated Sierra Leone over the weekend. The resounding victory is yet another reminder of the importance of investment in sports.

We are blessed in this country with bright, fit talented young people and we must do all we can to encourage their talents so they can represent The Gambia in the arena of international sport.

Young people who are engaged with sports are less likely to fall victim to the scourge of drug abuse and stand the chance of earning a very healthy and prosperous living by becoming professional sports stars. If we channel money into sports then young people who might not have had the chance might gain public recognition of their talents and, as a result, get a chance to enjoy a life that might not have been available to them before.

The promotion of sports is a prerequisite to the promotion of young people in this nation. If young people are engaged in sporting activities it will keep them from being idle, it will keep them healthy and will encourage a healthy spirit of competitiveness.

Of course we do not expect the government to carry the entire cost of this undertaking. It is also incumbent on the private sector to get involved and help encourage young sports people in The Gambia.

As we have seen with our U-17 team there is a wealth of talent here which is yet to be tapped. If there is investment then these young people can reach their potential and they and the nation as a whole will gain considerably.

Our national representatives at the Olympic Games recently did us all proud with their valiant efforts and we look forward to a time when many more young people will follow their example and represent The Gambia at the international level. As we have seen with our U-17's if young people are nurtured, trained and supported they have the potential to be the best in the world.