The
Summer Olympic Games offers the opportunity for less privileged National
Olympic committees and associations to network and seek for support from
partners.
Networking
is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success
for any individual or organization.
It
is about making connections and building enduring mutually beneficial
relationships.
The
Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) on Thursday 11 August 2016 secured a
sponsorship deal of US$75,000 equivalent to over D3,000,000 for the Gambia
Handball Association (GHA) from the International Handball Federation (IHF).
The
life-changing deal for GHA was reached by a three-man delegation headed by
GNOC’s vice president and IOC member Miss Beatrice Allen, GNOC’s treasurer
Ousman Wadda and GHA’s secretary general Haruna Cham after a meeting with IHF’s
president Hassan Mustapha.
The
meeting was initiated by Gambia IOC member Miss Beatrice Allen as part of her
unlimited support to the development of Gambian sport.
According
to GHA’s secretary general Haruna Cham, the deal comprises US$40,000 for the
construction of an outdoor handball court to be carried out by an American
construction company appointed by the International Handball Federation but The
Gambia has to provide the land for the project.
The
other area earmarked by the project is the Handball for Schools, as well as
training of coaches, referees and administration support, the provision of 300
balls, training and equipment of beach handball and support to the IHF
Challenge trophy.
Reacting
to the news, handball secretary general and Gambia’s Chef De Mission (CDM) to
Rio 2016 Olympic Games expressed delight in the achievement and thanked GNOC
for facilitating the deal.
He
added that “the deal will go a long way in developing the game of handball in
The Gambia, to specifically put an end to their struggle in acquiring a
standard handball court for their league matches.
