The partnership between Milan FC, a top Nawettan team in Bakau, and their Netherlands counterparts Aegon and Ajax, has continued on a positive direction with the arrival of some valuable football materials from Neitherlands last week.
Aegon, alongside its business partner Ajax - a leading football club in the Netherlands, through the unflinching support of Sabastian Endlich, better known as Bass, donated valuable football materials to Milan FC at a presentation ceremony held on Tuesday at Happy Corner in Cape Point.
The presentation which was done under the watchful eyes of a host of high-profile sports personalities including the director of sport at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malang Jassey, included 20 shorts and socks, 20 shirts, Ajax football, Ajax scarves, hats and caps for players, and five other footballs.
The youth and sports director Malang Jassey, in his remarks at the presentation ceremony, said he was extremely delighted to be associated with such a laudable initiative.
Jassey, who also heaped praises on Milan for their foresight in recruiting players as far as his native village of Gunjur, used the platform to appeal to other Nawetaan teams from Bakau to emulate the wonderful initiative set up by Milan in the country?s quest to attain excellence in sports.
"The development of Milan should be the primary objective of every member of the team as well as the people of Bakau," Jassey noted.
He thanked the sponsors, Aegon and Ajax, for what he referred to as their "timely intervention in the process".
Former executive secretary of the National Sports Council, Besenty Gomez, who tendered his resignation recently due to medical reasons, spoke at length about the numerous benefits Milan can register from the partnership, "provided that the club utilises it properly".
He said the partnership is a huge opportunity for Milan and the entire Gambian people, which if put into good use, would draw more benefits for the Gambia national teams.
Gomez, who has accumulated a wealth of experience in different areas of sports development, added: "We at the National Sports Council are committed to supporting various sporting disciplines, particularly football".
"There is the need to bring in people onboard who can help you grow but not the other way around."
He tasked members of Milan to provide land for themselves to create an opportunity for the possible establishment of a Mini Stadium of their own.
One man who could not hide his satisfaction for receiving such a wonderful items from their Aegon and Ajax partners, was the club's President Ousman Drammeh, who heaped praises on Bass and described him as the main source of connection between Milan and their counterparts since the partnership was established in 2009.
"Bass was both the head and the heart behind the whole initiative who also made it possible for us to established such a fantastic relationship with Aegon and Ajax," Drammeh said.
Drammeh, himself a formidable goalkeeper during his active playing days, took the opportunity to challenge every member of Milan to remain ever committed to the service of the club that continue to earn the admiration of many Nawetaan followers as a result of Aegon-Ajax partnership.
The team's captain Ousman Bojang, who gave a vote of thanks on behalf of his teammates, was equally appreciative of and thankful to the donors for what he described as "a fantastic initiative".
Bojang, who spoke at length on various issues on improving the standards of Milan, also promised the donors that the donated items would be put into good use.
Milan, who has failed in their attempt to progress to the next stage of the league cup competition, finished 10 points in the championship.
This shocking news which does not go down well with Milan FC, who cited unfair play as the reason for their early exit, means the Katchically outfit have only a knockout competition to play when they meet Vidar on Sunday at the dilapidated Bakau Mini Stadium.
It would be recalled that similar items were presented to Milan from Aegon and Ajax last year.
