Nawettan should be allowed!

Sports particularly football is very much important for any country, including The Gambia for many reasons.

The sporting events promote foreign exchange earnings for a country, promotes good health for players and also fosters unity and understanding among people and communities.

It is only through grassroots football that we can be able to spot talent in our young players and harness those hidden talents.

We do believe that playing football or Nawetaan in the provinces should not be discouraged by the government.

Nawettan if properly organized and managed can have much usefulness for communities and young players.

As a member of both CAF and FIFA, whose aims are to promote football especially at the grassroots level, The Gambia should not ban Nawetaan and playing of football during the rainy season in the provinces.

To us, a well ordinate Nawettan cannot and should not have any negative effects on farming, since both have their time.

Working on the farm has a time, just like playing football.

In fact, with or without football matches or training sessions in the evening many people in rural Gambia are now used to going to farm early in the morning and do close early in the afternoon.

That has already been developed in many communities, and so playing football should not be blamed for low agricultural production, but instead a lack of enough support to farmers.

We are, therefore, urging the President to reconsider his decision by allowing young people to play anywhere they are in the country.

What is essential is to ensure well-coordinated Nawettans, be held across the country, which do not affect farm work.

Without promoting grassroots football, we would hardly succeed in our quest to attain higher heights for Gambian football.