The national sports award organized by the SJAG is regarded a national sporting event in the SJAG’s calendar to serve as an inspirational gathering where youngsters would aspire to become winners and highfliers.
The event held in a grand style at the Kairaba Beach Hotel witnessed by Cabinet Ministers, former Gambia Football Federation’s officials, sports veterans and among others, also portrayed the SJAG’s success in its pursuit of promoting sports and its personalities over the years.
The awardees included the Gambian iconic referee Bakary Papa Gassama, former Gambian player, Alhagie Momodou Biri Biri Njie,Thomas King, Commy Owens, Alhagie Sarr, Lamin Owens, the late Alhagie Babou Sowe, the late Lamin Sarr (former U-20 Coach), and Alhagie Ebou K. B. Joof, as well as other Senegalese counterparts, which included the Senegalese wrestler, Eumeu Sene.
Other categories included the best local athlete Babucarr Trawally, best foreign based player Hamza Barry, team of the year Real De Banjul, best coach Foday Singahteh of YMCA basketball, as well as best organizations in support of sports, West African Lotto, Premier Game, Gamcel and Africell.
In his remarks, SJAG acting-president Musa Sise outlined the event in line with their desire to contribute to the attainment of excellence in sports, while he reaffirmed SJAG’s commitment to the nation.
“As we celebrate the efforts, contributions and achievements of our fathers, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, I want us to reflect on the future of sports, its development, reporting on all mediums and beyond and as a condition for its progress in the country,” he said.
He outlined that the executive of the SJAG is being aware of the necessity to team up with their Senegalese counterparts, ANPS, to forge a partnership and close collaboration in initiating bilateral ties which would see the two associations conduct advanced training all disciplines for the betterment of their members.
Sise added that they are also negotiating with other associations around the world with the aim of developing the human capacity of their members, pointing out that modern day sport requires a lot of players in a conducive environment for any progress to be recorded.
He said the SJAG would like to involve all genuine heads of institutions, businesses and philanthropists to encourage sports in all its forms as a catalyst for changing lives.
He thanked the GIA, Africell, Approve Services, PURA, Banjul Breweries, GFF and Lamin Suma Tailoring, as well as RLG and the Gambian community in Bergen, Norway for their support.
