“We were fighting principles and principles have been established,” Touray said. The full interview in our must-read Bantaba column with The Standard editor Sainey Darboe continues this Friday. Here are excerpts:
You have been involved in a much-publicised power tussle with GNOC. Has there been reconciliation?
I was very involved in the development, evolution, progression and sustainability of GNOC. If you look back you will see a very formidable picture of the people who were at the GNOC and we worked as a team. The Gambia was the 100th country visited by Juan Antonio Samaranch when Omar Sey was the president of GNOC. I never contested for any position in my life .If I don’t get it by merit I don’t want it. I was GNOC secretary general from 1985 to 2009 and at no point in that period did I ever have opposition. I was always elected unopposed. The Gambia was the first country under Abu Dandeh Njie to host the former IOC, Jacques Rogge and when they visited they said if there was an Olympic gold medal to be given to any country for efficiency in sports administration it will go to The Gambia. The tussle started in 2009 when Abu Dandeh Njie decided to step down. I was seen as heir-apparent because I had the pedigree locally and internationally. What has happened since then is water under the bridge. What I believe is that if I have a relationship with you it will have its ups and downs but the ups will be more than the downs. I cannot be your friend for twenty years and we have a misunderstanding for two days and I make you an enemy for life .It does not make sense. Outside the Qur’an I have two prayers that I use. One is serenity. Every morning I pray to God to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can and the wisdom to know the difference. And the second one is to have quiet among all the noise and palaver in the world and maintain my composure. The only person that can bring you down is yourself. What has happened… I was in it for principles and I still stick by those principles. I have been exonerated.
Have you reconciled with Dibba and co?
There is no palaver. We were fighting principles and principles have been established. When I established my principles the first thing I said was that I have no interest as long as I continue to live in holding any position within the Olympic movement in The Gambia. I was invited by IOC in my individual capacity to make a presentation to all the sports authorities in the world on sports autonomy of sports and good governance of sports and that document is in the archives of IOC. I was not invited then as secretary general but I was invited because I had something to offer.
Are you having good relations with Dibba and co?
Sports is all about solidarity. If sports cannot unites us nothing can. I always say that we have two important things in the world. Sports is supposed to unite us and provide solidarity .Prosperity is supposed to alleviate poverty. We never get to see so there is no question of sitting down to talk. When we see we greet but there is no issue in terms of reconciliation. I am no longer in the Olympic movement. I wish them the very best of luck and hope they will build on the foundation that has been built. If at any point in time they require my advice it will be given free of charge without any ill-will.
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