Capi & Sons donates to Region One Athletics team

By Omar Bah The President of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) Dodou ‘Capi’ Joof on behalf of Capi & Sons Foundation yesterday donated athletics gears to Region One Athletics team ahead of the 2017 inter-regional Athletics Championship. This, according to Mr. Joof is in fulfilment of the promise he made to the Region One team at the 2016 Regional Athletics Championship held on Independence Day last year. The presentation of 40 jerseys and coaching T-shirt was held at the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) Head Office conference hall on the Bertil Harding Highway. Speaking ahead of the official handing-over, the GNOC president who also doubles as the Gambia Athletics Association President said the presentation is meant for the region to have a better preparation ahead of the Independence Day athletics championship. “This goodwill gesture was in my mind since last year when I watched region one produced some fantastic athletes whom I can say dominated the championship. Because the role of my association and the NOC is to develop grass-root athletics, we identified them when they are young and this is the athletes that we expect tomorrow to be the flag-bearers of this country,” he said. He said part of his campaign prior to his take-over of the NOC presidency was to develop all form of grass-root sport in the Gambia. “There will be no meaningful development of sport without the grass-root. The Nursery and the Primary Schools are the right places where you can nurture talented sports men and women to represent this country,” he added. He continued: “When I saw these young athletes dominating the athletics in the last championship despite the fact that some of them were not wearing proper gears I tasked myself to sponsors for them which is why we are here today,” he said. Mr Joof further noted that sport can only be developed in three main areas, human resources, material resources and infrastructure, without which he said sport, cannot be developed. Speaking shortly after receiving the donated materials, the lead trainer of Region One athletics team Saikou Jammeh on-behalf of his sporting team thanked Capi Joof for the laudable initiative and reassured him that region one will pick-up from where they stop last year.]]>