First coach education conference for The Gambia

The Gambia is currently hosting the first-ever Coach Education Conference, meant to tackle issues relating to the long-term development of both coaches and athletes in various disciplines.

Organised by the Gambia National Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the University of York, the four-day sports conference which kicked –off on Monday, at the Kombo Beach Hotel is run by experts from St.John University, York.

Besenty Gomez, the Executive Secretary of the National Sports Council (NSC) in his launch statement pointed out that the Ministry of Youths and Sports' mission is to build and capacitise professional sports men and women, who can fetch glory for the country by winning laurels in national, regional and international competitions.

He added that the country also needs sportspersons who can be able to groom and identify talents nationwide.

"We are convinced that the four-day conference will help bring in the much-needed and requisite knowledge, skills and leadership in our quest for excellence in sport," said the Executive Secretary, who was speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youths and Sports.

Njie Barrow,  the Secretary-General of the Gambia National Olympic Committee, also stated that the cost involved in training the  number of local coaches undergoing the programme in or outside the country  is huge, pointing out that "it is  great privilege to  have the course  at home shores, conducted by  experts from St. John University in York."

Ian Ashton, Vice-Chairman, Yorkshire Moors & Coast Tourism Partnership, who facilitated the programme with the National Olympic Committee, stated that the conference will help coaches to better understand and prepare athletes, both physically and psychologically not only for the London 2012 Olympic Games, but on a long-term development of Gambian athletes.

The team of experts: Dr. Michelle, Tony Gummerson, John Gray and Dean Armstrong will conduct participatory sessions on practical and theory as part of the four-day event.

As part of the programme, the team also presented a set of sporting equipment.