Dear Editor,
Please allow me space in your widely read newspaper to congratulate Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Lang Tombong Tamba, for accepting to become new President of The Gambia National Olympic Committee despite his busy schedule as CDS in the Armed Forces, and to thank out-going President Alhagie Abou Dandeh Njie. The commitment of CDS Major General Tamba with His Excellency President Jammeh in lifting the progress of Gambian sports is well noticed, particularly in football. He is doing an excellent job for GFA since he joined them. The achievement of GFA during his tenure in office brought tremendous change of attitude to the Executive, affiliated clubs and players even the fans towards Gambian football. The FA has won significant trophies and minds of every Gambian, and as a result each U-17 Football player is a millionaire this year. Thanks to GFA for their well calculated effort to nominate CDS Major General Tamba as candidate for the NOC presidency. I wish him a successful term of office and call on all the affiliated national sports associations with the NOC to redouble their efforts and be more committed to the promotion and development of Gambian sports in a professional manner.
However, the achievement of GNOC and development of Gambian sports under the dynamic leadership of Alhagie Abou Dandeh Njie over the past 20years is worth commendation. I am very much grateful for his support to my career in sports. The IOC awarded me $12,000 (Twelve Thousand Dollars) to successfully do a Masters of Science Degree in Sport Leisure and Business Management. The program was facilitated through GNOC by Alhagie Abou Dandeh Njie, Mr. George F. Gomez, and former Executive Secretary National Sports Council Mr. Donald Sock. Indeed that achievement has changed my life for good.
Mr. Njie's effort to develop Gambian sports is visible and well noted by IOC. The construction of GNOC office, training programs offered to Gambians and supporting national sport associations achieve their objectives have been excellent not to mention the popular May Day Sports. Gambians are more interested in sports the nation is overwhelmed with the progress of Gambian sports particularly in football. Thank you Alhagie Abou Dandeh Njie and your dedicated team may your successor make no mistake to unite all the national sport associations and help Gambians engage more in sports furthermore help the youths learn not only the skills to perform but how to manage and administer Gambian sports.
CDS Major General Tamba is expected to have highly motivated bureau members prepared to register success for the continue development of sports in the country and a medal for the next Olympic Games would be a good start. Thus, CDS Major General Tamba needs to count on the wealth of experience of his Secretary General Omar Njie Barrow, Executive Director George F Gomez and 1ST Vice President Ms Beatrice Allan just to name a few and sustain the good legacy of Father Alhagie Abou Dandeh Njie.
In my view, there is a good lesson to be learned from Alhagie Abou Dandeh Njie and Alhagie O.B Conateh by all Gambian sports administrators from the grass root to the national level even the private and public administrators. They both retired when they could have continue to clinch on power to the detriment of their success evidently these two sports iconic leaders would be proud for the rest of their lives with their families and friends for their success. May God continue to give them good health and wisdom to guide the progress of Gambian sports-Amen!
Mamudou Max Jallow,