GGA postpones Gambia Open to 2021

The Gambia Golf Association (GGA) has postponed all its meetings and tournaments in 2020, including the 2020 Gambia Open which is due to take place later this month as the world’s scientists work on finding a cure for the covis-19 in the coming months.

Presently, the corona virus pandemic is affecting every country, community and household day by day, hour by hour.

On 17 March 2020, The Gambia recorded its first and to date, the only case of corona virus so far.

The Gambia Golf Association (GGA) is encouraging everyone to heed the World Health Organisation’s recommendations on hygiene and safety, as strictly as possible, in order to contain the virus and protect the most vulnerable people in our societies.

“GGA regrets to inform our Members, Partners, Fellow Golfers and Sponsors, that due to the unabated “stealth transmission” of corona virus across the world”, it said.

The decision followed the National Sports Council’s prudent decision of ordering the postponement of all sporting activities in The Gambia, as well as urging the closure of sporting facilities with immediate effect.

According to GGA, “together we can fight the corona virus scourge, especially if everybody takes individual responsibility for our public health and safety.”

The 2020 Gambia Open golf tournament had been set to be organised by The Gambia Golf Association (GGA), in partnership with Fajara Club at the Fajara Club Golf Course from 25-29 March 2020.

The Gambia Open is an international event, which is also the Gambia’s national championship event for golf. The tournament was dedicated to the memory of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, GGA’s first Chief Patron, who died peacefully aged 95 at his home in Fajara, on Tuesday 27 August 2019.

Sir Dawda’s personal contribution and that of his government, to the game of golf in The Gambia is unparalleled. Therefore, it is befitting that the first Gambia Open Golf Tournament following his death, is dedicated to his memory, said GGA ahead of the tournament.  

The late Sir Dawda was a keen golfer and used to compete regularly in the Hassan II Golf Trophy in Rabat, Morocco.

In his autobiography KAIRABA, Sir Dawda stated that he was introduced to the game of golf in 1962, thanks to the persistence of J.P. Bray, the last British holder of the post of superintendent of the then Gambia Police, also known as the Gambia Constabulary.

Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara was a trained veterinary surgeon and Gambian politician, who served as the first Prime Minister from 1965 to 1970, and then as the first President of The Gambia, from 1970 to 1994.

Both of Sir Dawda’s surviving wives, a few of his children and some of his grandchildren also took up the game of golf. One of his sons Ebrima, is a founding member of the GGA and is currently the association’s president.

Since its inception in 2009 as the National Governing Body for Golf in The Gambia, the GGA has regularly held tournaments and has since paid out almost GMD1.2 million in professional prize money.