Honourable Sheriff M.L Gomez, the Minister of Youth and Sports has unveiled plans by his ministry to put in place a vigorous campaign to ensure a successful participation of The Gambia senior national team for the upcoming African Nations and the World Cup in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
In a bid to kick-start the campaign, resources for the participation of the senior national team in the CAF 2012 and FIFA 2014 Africa nations and the World Cup qualifiers, respectively, the Minister of Youth and Sports Sheriff Gomez has called on the entire Gambian population to work collectively to ensure that the obligations are fulfilled to ensure a successful participation of The Gambia senior national team ahead of the forthcoming qualifiers.
The press conference which was spearheaded by the Minister himself was organised in a bid to kick-start the campaign and resource mobilisation of the national team ahead of the forthcoming qualifiers.
Sheriff Gomez, whose ministry has already set up a committee who will put forward their programme and resource mobilisation to ensure a successful participation of the team to both African nations and the World Cup qualifiers among other arrangements, had challenged the entire Gambian populace to work collectively towards achieving the desired results.
"We have already put in place a committee who will put forward their programme and resource mobilisation in which the ministry itself and the GFA will play a leading role," he stated.
He was speaking to reporters in yesterday's press conference at the Independence Stadium.
"I have instructed my ministry to set up a budget and the substantial figure will be revealed during the launching of the committee in due course," he added.
The Executive Secretary of the National Sports Council Besenty Gomez, who also spoke at the occasion, urged the media fraternity to continue working hard.
"Nobody can underestimate the good job the media is doing but you should not only stop at informing people, but also educate them," he said.
Other speakers at the press conference included Sheikh Tijan Faye, a member of the National Sports Council, Abdoulie Kah, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Secretary-General of the Gambia Football Association, Jammeh Bojang, who responded to some of the critical questions raised by journalists pertaining to the way forward of the Gambian football.
