The annual gathering was attended by GNOC affiliated associations, Government of The Gambia through the National Sports Council’s Executive Director and partners in sports development.
Speaking at the meeting the president of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC), Alhagie Momodou M. Dibba, highlighted GNOC’s commitment to ensure the sustained development of the national sports associations in The Gambia.
He said they shall continue to give the necessary guidance and support based on the basic principles of good governance, accountability and youth development in its drive to achieve excellence and sustainability in sports development.
Mr Dibba revealed that the International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020, which was ratified at the IOC session in Monaco last year for the Olympic Movement, focuses on three main pillars: sustainability, credibility and youth, which aims at bringing unity and diversity in the Olympic Movement.
He pointed out that since the ratification of Olympic Agenda 2020 The Gambia NOC Dibba has been actively engaged with other international organisations such as the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) for the implementation of its programmes.
On the grassroots sports development, the GNOC boss said the Olympafrica Centre, located in Serrekunda East, will continue to make progress in bringing young people together in various sporting disciplines and collaborating with partners to implement a variety of programmes.
He said all sports associations wanting to be part of the Olympic Movement must meet the requisite criteria of their international federations and be in good standing as a pre-requisite.
Peter Prom, Secretary General of the GNOC, while presenting his 2013/14 activity reports, said the executive bureau of the National Olympic Committee is charged and mandated with the responsibility to administer the operations of the GNOC.
He said their first activity was the GNOC presidential election where Dibba was duly elected unopposed in March 2013, as well as the numerous training programmes held for member associations.
He said his international training programmes included International Coaching Course for Athletics Coach Modou Njie in Delaware, USA, technical course for Basketball and technical courses for football, taekwondo and table tennis.
Mr Prom revealed they could not implement some of their programmes in the second quarter of 2014 due to the closure of the GNOC office but he hailed the goodwill of the Government of The Gambia for unconditionally re-opening the Olympic House after their meeting with IOC in Lausanne.
For his part, Alhagie Ousman A. Wadda, the treasurer, revealed that GNOC’s income for 2013 stood at D11,444,542 against an expenditure of D12,523,581 which revealed a deficit of D1,079.039 incurred due to the increase of support to national associations.
Mr Wadda revealed that the GNOC income increased in 2014 to D11,524,859 while the expenditure dropped to D10, 837,188, incurring a surplus of D687,671.
On the support to national associations, Mr Wadda added that in 2014, GNOC spent D1,148,135 on national associations against D867,715 in 2013.
He added that during that period, the GNOC accounts were audited by Prize Water House Coopers, an internationally recognized audit firm of Olympic Solidarity and the outcome of the audits were “very satisfactory”.
At the end of the “fruitful” meeting the budget for 2016 was presented and approved unanimously by delegates.