Gambian Athlete Back From Italy

The current West African Junior athletics champion in both 400 and 800 metres, Momodou Lamin Kujabi last week returned home from Italy after attending the just concluded world junior athletics championship, which took place in Milan from 12-18 July 2009.

The popular World Youth Athletics Championship which brought together a total of fifty-two countries worldwide, including the Gambia saw Mr. Kujabi finishing the 400- metre race, with an unimpressive timing of 47.22 seconds following tough competition from other athletes in various parts of the world that took part in a five-day World Junior Championship in Milan.

According to the 17-year-old native of Sinchu Alagie, he had a bright start to his best event- 800 metres, after spending the greater part leading the race but it was unfortunate when he heard the news of his disqualification as a result of an infringement against one of his opponents which saw him dropped to fourth place with a disappointing timing of 48 seconds.

The two time Zone 11 athletics champion further told Pointsport that he was unimpressed with his overall performance in the championship as he was eyeing a top spot finish. But he was quick to express delight in representing his country of birth, the Gambia at the world's most prestigious junior athletics championship.

"My disqualification taught me a lot of lessons but I hope to work harder now than ever before so as to improve on both the technical and tactical aspects of the game to avoid similar scenario in future athletics championships," he stated.

Momodou Lamin Kujabi made his first international athletic championship debut for the Gambia in 2006, in Freetown Sierra Leone.

He also took part in international athletic championships in Togo and Burkina Faso last year.

The former student of the Gambia Muslim Senior Secondary School was also instrumental in helping Gambia reached the semi-final of the Commonwealth games which was held in India in 2008.

He further seized the opportunity to thank the Gambia Athletics Federation for chosen him to represent the country and the International Amateur Athletic Federation for facilitating his trip.

In a similar development, Gambian duo Fatou Tiyana and Suwaibou Sanneh, yesterday left for Germany where they are expected to attend the next month's world athletics championship.