National Sports Associations have elected Mr Dodou Capy Joof, president of the country’s Athletic Association as the President of The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) during an elective congress on Saturday.
Joof received 21 votes, more than 50 percent of the votes ahead of Lamin King Colley who had 11 votes and Pa Alieu Jallow with 8 votes.
The new executive will steer the affairs of the national Olympic Committee for the next four years. Other executive members of the new body comprised International Olympic Committee Member Beatrice Allen as 1st Vice President, Gambia Football Federation President Lamin Kaba Bajo as 2nd Vice President, Abdoulie Jallow as Secretary General.
The position of Treasurer went to Ousman Abou Wadda, while Olympic Sports Representative members in the committee are David Haffna, Bai Dodou Jallow, Anthony Tabbal and Adama Jammeh.
Speaking at the congress, the executive director of the National Sports Council, Mr Marcel Mendy said the Council as the body responsible to control, supervise, monitor and regulate all sports and sports bodies in the country strongly encourages all members and associations to cultivate and maintain high levels of good governance in their operations.
“As a matter of fact, the NSC has observed with grave concern that in some instances, some bodies, groups of people gang up against others irrespective of how well the latter does simply because they believe in a different approach to development and/or because they belong to the so-called different camps,” Mendy told the congress.
The outgoing GNOC president, Alhaji Momdou Dibba congratulated his successor and called on all sports associations to give maximum support to the new executive committee.
The newly elected president, Dodou Capi Joof urged stakeholders to put aside their difference and work together for the development of sports in the country.
Now that the election is over, Gambians are closely looking for the positive difference that the newly elected body will bring to the country’s sports.
by Arfang MS Camara