The donation was made to the National Team through the AFCON National Coordinating Committee (NCC) at a ceremony held at the Trust Bank’s head office in Banjul.
The national team would play its first game against the Lions of Senegal on 15 January 2024. This is the second time the Scorpions have qualified to the AFCON games since its start in 1957.
The occasion also called for other institutions to emulate Trust Bank’s gesture by financially strengthening the scorpions, not only for its effective participation in the AFCON games, but with the possibility of wining the trophy. Trust Bank would also support the live broadcast of the AFCON games through GRTS.
Speaking at the occasion, Njilan Senghore, the managing director of Trust Bank, recalled Scorpions’ qualification to the AFCON games for the second time, while noting that a lot of money is required to help the Scorpions succeed.
“Last year, everybody said the team got further than we expected and I’m not even sure why we are putting limitations on what they can do, but again this year, we have qualified,” she said.
“I don’t want to put any limitations on the team. In the last AFCON games, we saw Senegal win against Egypt,” she recalled, adding that Senegal is Gambia’s closest neighbour.
“If they can do it, why can’t we do it? The boys are going to sacrifice everything for The Gambia. What is remaining is for us as a nation to rally behind them and give them the kind of support that would validate what they are doing,” she stated.
“We need to support them financially and emotionally, and we need to be there in our numbers and we are sending two of our staff to Ivory Coast.”
For his part, Musa Mbye, the deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sport, noted that the gesture was a challenge to all corporate bodies in the country to take ownership.
DPS Mbye, on behalf of the government through his ministry and the NCC, commended Trust Bank’s gesture.
In his remarks, the co-publisher of The Point Newspaper and a doyen in the field of sports, Pap Saine, revealed that “in football, you must participate financially and morally to boost the morale of our players.”
He described it a big challenge, while applauding Trust Bank for the gesture and urged others to emulate. “Without resources, you cannot produce results. So we appeal to the business sector and agencies to join hands like Trust Bank; which is a role model in terms of sponsorships in health and sports and others,” he stressed.
Juldeh Ceesay, the deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, disclosed that the government supported the team during the last AFCON and they would do it again this year. However, she admitted that the government needs partners to make it successful.
She thanked Trust Bank for the partnership since the AFCON 2021.
Musa Sise, the chairman of the media and publicity committee, on behalf of the National Coordinating Committee (NCC), revealed that he looked up to Pap Saine and the late Deyda Hydara as his mentors as a young sports man then.
He thanked Trust Bank for the sponsorship and urged the business community to emulate the Bank.
Sise said Trust Bank would equally benefit from getting image rights of the national team, a sign shown by players, and a signed certificate showing their participation, support and partnership with the national team.
