Officials of Real de Banjul Football Club on Thursday held a press briefing as the team prepares to celebrate 50 years of existence.
Speaking at the event, Willy Abraham, Club President disclosed that the Golden Jubilee celebration would begin on July 12 with a nationwide tour across the country. The tour, he added would start from the North Bank Region and would take them to all the regions in the country.
He added that on July 29, there would be a football tournament with various clubs expected to take part. “We have budgeted D3.5million, which include a nationwide tour and invitation of clubs within and outside the country,” Willy Abraham said.
The invited clubs are: Stade Malien de Bamako, Mali; Inter Allies, Accra, Ghana; Asec Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Horoya, Guinea Conakry; Kallon Star, Freetown, Sierra Leone; Tevrah Zein, Mauritania; Guediawaye, Cassaport, Academie Generation Food, and Niarry Tally, all of Senegal.
The Real de Banjul boss thanked Allah for given them the opportunity to witnesses fifty years of existence with remarkable development strides towards promoting football in the country.
“I can remember when my father used to hold my hand and take me to the field to watch Real matches; I was a fan by then and now the President and God willing we do all we can in championing the football development in the country.”
He expressed gratitude to The Gambia Government, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and every stakeholder for the support.
Bakary Jammeh, the Vice President of the Club, said this fifty years celebration is a celebration of contributions to the development of sports in the country, football in particular. He said Real de Banjul has contributed immensely to the development of Gambian football in a short period.
“Whatever has a good foundation will have good structures and will last long. We are the leading club in The Gambia with vast experience in producing many professionals in the likes of Ebou Sillah, and others so this is worthy of celebration,” Jammeh said, while calling on all Gambians to join the celebrations.
Ebou Joof, a founding member of the Club, gave a brief account of Real de Banjul. He recalled that the Club was established when the Ministry of Education selected young footballers to attend a competition in Senegal. Upon their return, he added, they formed the Club in 1966 with the aim of developing football in the country.
by Alhagie Babou Jallow