The National Football Taskforce Committee established recently by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to look into the affairs of football development in The Gambia, especially the welfare of the country’s national football teams, yesterday held a press briefing at the Independence Stadium VIP Lounge in Bakau.
The press conference was purely intended to clarify and explain thoroughly the responsibilities and limitations of the Committee, who have since February commenced work.
Omar Sallah, chairman of the committee, began his speech by telling the press the role, responsibilities and limitations of the committee, saying the taskforce was set up by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sheriff Gomez, and tasked with the responsibility of looking into the affairs of football development in the country, especially the affairs of the national football teams.
“After the setting-up of this committee, unfounded rumours have been going around that it was set up to head hunt certain institutions, but that is not the case,” he said. “The Taskforce Committee was set up mainly to harmonize all efforts by stakeholders with a view to raising the standard of football to higher heights before the expiry of our time.”
Sallah also told the press who were in attendance: “The Taskforce Committee under my leadership is set up to look into the management of our national football teams being the national ‘A’ team or the Senior Scorpions, Under 20 and the U-17 national teams.”
The taskforce, Pointsport understands, is also mandated to provide surgical analysis of the roles and responsibilities that should exist between the Gambia government, football associations and all other stakeholders, particularly The Gambia for Gold, a fund-raising committee mandated to raise substantial funds for the participation of the categories of all the country’s national football teams in their respective international football matches.
It would be recalled that the Ministry of Youth and Sports inaugurated a five-man taskforce committee on 2 February 2011 at the Youth and Sports Ministry office in
The committee entrusted to oversee the affairs of football development in the country commenced their assignment by developing strategies for football development.
Part of the committee’s strategic plan is to identify sports/football personalities the Committee is “absolutely” convinced can provide the desired ideas for the way forward for football.
The committee’s other assignment is to interview eminent sports personalities to invite suggestions which, according to officials, will be forwarded to the Minister of Youth and Sports for final analysis and possible recommendations on the whole procedure.
