Over the weekend, The Gambia through The Gambia Athletic Association (GAA) hosted a two-day Ecowas Junior Athletics championship held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.
The two-day championship began with a march past by the participating countries.
The first day witnessed a spectacular display by athletes representing 8 countries from the sub-region.
On the sprint, it was the powerhouse Nigerian girls that won the Gold and Silver medals in the 100m race. The hosts Gambia won Gold medal in the relay in an exceptional style. Sierra Leone claimed Gold Medal in the 1500m women’s category event. There was also a Gold Medal for Gambia’s Demba Marong in the 1500m men’s category after a tight competition.
In the 100m race for the male category, Nigeria won the Gold medal, Sierra Leone received Silver medal and hosts Gambia grabbed Bronze medal.
The winners at the championship that meet the required qualification will represent their different countries at the World Junior Athletics Championship to be held in Poland.
The opening ceremony was well attended by athletics enthusiasts and senior officials including the Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Hon. Abdoulie Bojang.
“It is with great satisfaction to note that this is the second time that The Gambia is organizing the Regional Junior Athletics Championship. The first edition was held in The Gambia in 1999, when Mr. Shori Nyoliba of Ivory Coast was elected the first West Africa president. We are therefore grateful to the Government of The Gambia, under the leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Professor Dr. Alhaji Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Babili Mansa, who provided the enabling environment, and the required support to make sure that sports in general, and Athletics in particular flourishes in The Gambia,” said GAA boss Dodou Capi Joof during the opening ceremony on Saturday, citing the refurbishment of the Independence Stadium Athletic Track as a clear example.
Joof did not also hesitate to thank the former IAAF president Lamin Diack who supported them with US$160, 000 in the refurbishment.
While thanking Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) for the support to the development of the athletes, Joof applauded IAAF and Ecowas for sponsoring the regional competition.
“We should always remember that what is important in sports, is not winning, but bringing people closer together, and to compete as brothers and sisters. In solidarity, we therefore stand to unite humanity, through Athletics,” he concluded.
At the time of going to press, competition was going on in the day two of the championship.
by Alieu Ceesay