Talented athletes in the secondary school system are expected to seek qualification to take part in the 2016 National Interschool Athletics Championship in various zones starting this weekend.
The Gambia Secondary School Athletics Association (GSSAA) will begin countrywide athletics heats with schools in North Bank and Lower River Regions at the Farafenni Mini-stadium this morning.
The event is expected to wrap up on Sunday with a complete list of qualifiers for the finals.
The following week will feature schools in Central, and Upper River Regions at the Bansang Senior Secondary School grounds, while the heats for schools in the West Coast Region will take place at Bottrop Senior Secondary School grounds a week later.
The final heats is expected to take place at the National Independence Stadium for schools in Region one.
Speaking to The Point Newspaper at the Jarra Soma Bus Station on transit to Farafenni, Augustus A. Mendy noted that the ground is ready for the heats to begin.
“All work is done to ensure that schools are welcomed to participate according to the scheduled dates,” he said.
The event is entirely for students in the junior and secondary school levels, he said, adding that none else shall be eligible to participate.
He said heats are expected to be competitive because for an athlete to qualify for the national championship he or she has to be the first or second best in timing for the tract events and best or second best in performance in the field events.
The National Athletics Championship for this year, according to Mr Mendy, is expected to take place at the National Independence Stadium two weeks after the nationwide heats.
It would be recalled that the Gambia Senior Secondary School were winners of the last year’s finals followed by Bottrop Senior Secondary School, and Essau Senior Secondary School
in the third place.
In the junior school level, Latrikunda Sabiji won the title followed by Barra/Essau Upper Basic School and Brikama
Upper Basic School respectively.
