The
Gambia Football Federation (GFF) has launched the School and Youth Football
Development Plan, as part of a drive for the development of grassroots
football.
The
plan was launched on Thursday November 17th at the GFF Secretariat in Kanifing,
and the ceremony was presided over by the GFF president Lamin Kabba Bajo.
Mr
Bajo said the plan is a very vital component in the GFF calendar and, as such,
they want to give it all the priority it deserves.
“It
has taken us a long time to come up with this document, and I must thank the
2nd and 3rd vice presidents for their efforts and inputs injected in the plan,”
he said.
GFF
3rd vice president Martin Gomez said the youth population of the country has
its bulk at the school level.
“I
want to thank the GFF for appreciating this committee’s plan by giving it
serious consideration and attention”.
He
announced that the committee is fully supported by the Ministry of Basic and
Secondary Education which, according to him, is enough testimony that the two
entities are strong partners.
GFF
2nd vice president Ebou Faye described the plan as the first step of developing
football in the country.
“The
document is for all school-going kids in The Gambia, from the ages of 10-13
years and the ages of 14-17 years and, as such, it will address the gap that
divides the player pool from the regions and the greater Banjul Area”.
He
said the GFF’s vision is to capture the talents outside the Greater Banjul
Area, and thus schools will partake in a national football tournament to scout
the best out of the rest.
GFF
technical director Ebrima Manneh hailed the initiative as great, and thanked
the GFF for coming up with the project.
“The
strategic development plan of the GFF dictates a lot of priority areas, and
major among them is technical and grassroots development and this plan will
address most of the gaps”. Source: gff.gm
