Ahead of Tomorrow's Presidential Election
Less than 24hrs for the commencement of the highly awaited GNOC presidential election slated for tomorrow at the Gambia National Olympic Committee's House, GNOC presidential candidates Alhaji Momodou Dibba and Alhaji Abdoulie Baks Touray have spoken highly about their developmental plans for The Gambia.
Below is the full text of the development plans of the two aspiring GNOC presidential candidates:
Alhaji Momodou Dibba: I am confident that the eligible voters have already made their choice of candidate in the interest of sports development within the Gambia National Olympic movement.
The majority of the sporting associations and individual sports personalities want to see a positive change after 21 years in the doldrums.
My sports development agenda as a genuine contender since the inception of the election campaign has been.
1. To focus my attention on the sporting associations, in particular for the athletes to develop and excel in their various sporting disciplines.
2. To ensure that GNOC takes full responsibility to regularise the associations' annual contribution to their respective international federations, to enable them have a platform in meetings, conferences, seminar, etc. in these international bodies.
3. To create a development fund as a matter of priority with a view to erecting a multi-purpose sports facility to cater for the smaller associations in the development process.
4. To establish various commissions and committees to address the various issues of the concerns of the associations with a view to finding appropriate solutions.
5. To ensure that the GNOC Bureau and management are effective and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the associations and athletes.
6. To make primary and secondary school sports a special target because they are the breeding ground for national athletes and deserved to be given due attention.
7. To bring all associations affiliated to the GNOC under one roof, create the conducive sporting environment for all and give recognition to their achievement thereby encouraging them to develop.
8. To encourage all and sundry as a sporting fraternity in their sporting activities.
9. To foster cooperation with international sporting bodies and to mobilise resources to enhance the accelerated sports development we all envisage in our dear country, The Gambia.
10. To continuously maintain and strengthen the harmonious relationship with the Government of The Gambia, in particular the Ministry of Youth and Sports to develop at all level.
Under my leadership as a genuine aspiring candidate for the presidency, I will build up a team that will live up to expectations, a team that will ensure your accomplishment, extend the leverage for you to excel in sports, and bring glory to our motherland.
With your support on Election Day, 12th February 2011, I shall put in motion my sports development agenda uninterrupted and unhindered to your own benefit. I shall develop and protect the Olympic movement in The Gambia in accordance with the Olympic chapter, the GNOC constitution and the National Sports Council’s Act.
As an aspiring candidate for presidency, I need your vote in this crucial election for change and make things happen.
In all our consideration and human endeavour, let us put our country The Gambia first.
Abdoulie Baks Touray:
SPORTS DEVELOPMENT AGENDA MANIFESTO ALHAJI ABDOULIE M. TOURAY – MRG
"Leadership is doing the right things and management is doing things right" – Peter Drucker
THE LEGACY
I was the Secretary General of the GNOC for 20 years. It's time to lead the GNOC and to develop and sustain its impressive legacy which resulted in these notable achievements:
1. First African country to be visited by Chevalier Jacques Rogge on the
2. The only National Olympic Committee to have had its former President Alhaji A.B. Dandeh Njie and Former Secretary General Alhaji Abdoulie M. Touray decorated by the World body of Association of National Olympic Committee (ANOC) with the ANOC GOLD MERIT AWARD. The two were also presented with the Centennial Gold Medal by the IOC in 2006.
The GNOC's exemplary leadership profile and respect within the World Sport Movement led to the exposure, identification and election of GNOC Officials to the coveted positions such as:
1. TREASURER GENERAL of Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa in the person of Alhaji Abou Dandeh-Njie - From 2001 to 2005.
VICE PRESIDENT –
TREASURER of Confederation of Africa Athletics from 2003 to date. Alhaji Dodou Joof (Capi).
Election to IOC MEMBERSHIP of Ms Beatrice Allen from 2006 to date.
Technical and financial support to National Sports Associations which led to the recruitment and funding of Mr Osam Dudu to the Gambia Football Association and the development of the Baby Scorpions as U-17 African Championship culminating in a steady flow of professional Gambia footballers around the world.
Technical Assistance to Gambia Athletics Association in collaboration with German National Olympic Committee for the progressive development of Athletics.
Support and hosting of National competitions for challenged Associations, inclusive of Paralympics, Deaflympics and Special Olympics resulting in Gold Medal victories for our special Olympians (i.e. the mentally challenged).
The institutionalising of Workers May Day Sports for two decades and a Sports Banquet to recognise and decorate outstanding sports personalities and induct them into The Gambia’s Sports Hall of Fame inclusive of Athletes, Administrators and Journalists.
The first country to organise and host a seminar of women and sports in collaboration with the IOC and UNDP following the First World Conference on Women and Sports in Brighton – the UK in 1996.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ATHLETES
A number of athletes were exposed to training in the
Two young athletes were given scholarships to attend the Jamaica High Performance Centre in
SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE PROJECT (SIIP)
The SIIP project document was prepared and executed in partnership with the OlympAfrica Foundation, Government of The Gambia, Local Government Authorities and the Communities and Youths. It resulted in the development of the Serrekunda West BO Semega Janneh Multipurpose Complex, the Banjul Mini-Stadium, and Sporting grounds in Brikama, Sukuta, Bullock, Kuntaur, Kaur and Basse.
The construction of the GNOC Headquarters building valued at D6.5 million.
SPORTS LEADERSHIP TRAINING
A number of sport administrators were provided with overseas scholarships to obtain their training in established sporting universities; they have now returned and are serving in leadership position in youth and sports development.
COACHING COURSES
A number of coaches were trained locally and overseas, most of whom have now obtained their international coaching licences and serve as coaches in the Gambia National Team and in leading clubs in The Gambia.
The GNOC succeeded in providing effective, relevant and appropriate Technical Administrative and Coaching courses to a significant number of Gambians for the development of Gambian athletes, coaches and sport administrators.
Committed to the full implementation of the programmes of Olympic Solidarity in the four core areas of:
a) Athletes
b) Coaches
c) NOC Management
d) Promotion of Olympic values inclusive of:
Sports medicine
Sports and environment
Women and sports
Sports for all
International Olympic Academy
Culture and Education
NOC Legacy
THE NEW VISION AND STRATEGIC AGENDA
1. Build the capacity of all National Sporting Association to prepare an Integrated Strategic Plan to clearly establish where they are now and where they want to go and how to get there with an Implementation matrix and Road Map.
2. To work with partners to construct an indoor multipurpose facility in the Greater Banjul Area.
3. To further develop the OlympAfrica Centres in the respective Regions in the country in collaboration with the Local Government Authorities and Gamworks.
4. To partner with the University of The Gambia to mainstream sports into their curriculum and to encourage UTG to establish different sporting clubs and to affiliate and participate in the World University Games.
5. To partner with the Gambia National Army and encourage them to affiliate and participate in the World Military Games.
6. To empower the challenged sports associations; i.e. the physically challenged, deaflympics, special Olympics and the blind to realise their full potential as sports enthusiasts and to organise sporting events for them and assure their participation in national and international competitions.
7. To consolidate and expose sports leaders to pursue further education programmes under various scholarship programmes at the bilateral and multilateral level.
8. Recognising that sports like education and health is now recognised as an MDG tool, we undertake to develop projects to ensure resource mobilisation for sport development across the country, as sports is a cross-cutting instrument for human development and the most potent and galvanising force for National Solidarity, Pride, Cohesion and Inclusiveness.
9. To partner with the Tourism Industry and mainstream sports and develop The Gambia as a prime sport tourism destination especially in the sports that attract high spending tourists such as Golf and Marathon Races.
10. To collaborate with the NGO community under MDG 8 to build global partnerships in sports and development such as Basketball Without Borders, the Father Joseph Gough Foundation, Scholar Athletes for Change, Plymouth Banjul Challenge, Brufut Marathon, and ActionAid.
11. To encourage, integrate and empower the primary and secondary sports associations, the nursery bid for talent identification, development and elite performance for all sports and restore the glorious days of schoolboy international sports stars and to Partner with OlympAfrica and Gamworks to integrate sport facilities into all schools.
12. To arrange twinning arrangements for national sports associations with sister associations in countries that have excelled in those sports to expose them to best practices and for them to forge durable partnerships with the support of their respective African Confederations and International Federations.
13. To renew and reaffirm our commitment to the Olympic Movement, the Commonwealth Games Federation and Government Sports Policy and Plan of Action. To ensure a coordinated coherent and effective discharge of your trust and confidence.
14. To develop programmes within the GNOC and beyond and continue to ensure that Journalists are an integral part and parcel of sporting delegations and that Arts, Culture, Education and Health remain stellar pillars and partners of the sports fraternity.
15. To harmonise the GNOC Constitution with the Olympic Charter for consistency and conformity by ensuring that the President of the GNOC like the President of the IOC serves a maximum period of 12 years; i.e. one term 8 years and a second term of 4 years.
16. Like the IOC, all members of the GNOC shall automatically retire upon attainment of the age of 70 years.
17. The
18. We would require all members of the GNOC to demonstrate by leadership and example and to abide by the IOC Code of Ethics and the Code of Conduct of the Commonwealth Games Federation and to uphold, protect and preserve the GNOC Constitution without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.
19. To develop a (PIE) mentality and philosophy meaning:
P = Participation
I = Integration
E = Excellence in Sports
To continue to live by our life philosophy, i.e. Goodwill to All. ALLAH's WILL shall prevail.
We have demonstrated that we have the expertise, experience and the edge to deliver professional excellence to the sports fraternity which is our passion for posterity.