The Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia (SJAG) on Friday awarded WCB Super Middleweight Champion Boxer Badou Jack “The Ripper” the Sports Personality of the Year. The award was made during the SJAG’s 7th edition of the National Sports Awards Night on Friday.
The other categories of awardees included Best Referee of the Year, Mawdo Jallow; Best Local Based Athlete, Yaya Ndong of Gamtel FC; Best Foreign Based Athlete, Pa Modou Jagne of FC Sion; Team of the Year, Gamtel FC; Coach of the Year, Tapha Manneh of Gamtel FC; Best Organisation in Support of Sports, MGI. A special award was also given to Africell for being a long-standing partner as an organisation in support of sports development.
Special Awards were also given to Lamin Samura, and Bayba, while the unsong heroes’ awards went to Eliman Janneh, Kebba Balajo, the late Alieu Sallah and Ali Qadra.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President of the SJAG, Musa Sise, said the Awards Night is meant to serve as an inspirational gathering, where youngsters would be inspired to become winners and highfliers.
According to him, since inception some years ago, this event has continued to gather momentum yearly by improving on the quality of the awards, setting international standards in its recognitions and delivery. He added that this is in line with their desire to contribute to the attainment of excellence in sports.
“It is sufficed to say, if it is not for the persistent encroaching and questioning by sports and investigative journalists, none of what we have all known to be facts today would have been uncovered. Corruption, bribery, unscrupulous administrators all driven by greed have plunged our games into disrepute yet still most of us remain in denial,” he said.
Pap Saine, SJAG Honourary Life President, disclosed that the Association was founded in 1998. He said the purpose of the awards ceremony is to promote sports and celebrate those who excelled in sports for the country. He added that these awards would also serve as encouragement to other athletes.
The awards and awardees, he went on, will help to inspire the young athletes coming up to continue developing and promoting sports in the country. On behalf of the Association, he thanked all the sponsors who in one way or the other contributed in the success of the award.
He, however, appealed for support from institutions and partners for the Association’s programmes in promoting sports in the country.
The awards night was attended by prominent sports and non-sports personalities from within and beyond the country, notable was ex-Senegalese international El Hadji Diouf and former teammate Alasane Ndoure.
