The Gambia has secured a rare international sporting achievement.
The country’s Men’s beach volley ball team beat host Morocco in the final to become champion of Africa at the on-going African Games.
The team cruised to the gold medal in scintillating fashion after seizing the momentum from as sensational a 2- 0 semi final win over Rwanda. Earlier they beat Mozambique in the quarter finals. The boys’ brilliant performance was witnessed by the sports minister Hadrammeh Sidibeh.
The victory was greeted with hearty congratulations among Gambian sport lovers on social media. Many singled out the Gambia Volleyball federation for praised and celebrated the on going massive development in volleyball in the country.
“Somehow, Gambian Volleyball has been doing all the right things over the last few years.
I am not surprised by this great achievement,” one commentator said.
The 12th African Games, holding under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, Aug.19 to 31, is taking place in Rabat, Salé, Temara, Casablanca, Benslimane and El Jadida.
For the first time in their history, the African Games will be a qualification step to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
This important continental event is marked by the participation of more than 6,000 athletes from 53 countries, competing in 26 sports disciplines, 17 of which are qualifying to the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020.
The African Games feature kayaking, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, handball, billiards, snooker and volleyball, in addition to qualifying games for the next Olympic Games, such as athletics, swimming, beach volleyball, weightlifting, cycling, horse riding, and judo.
The African multi-sport contest seeks to advance top-class African Sports and to foster cultural exchanges between the Member States of the African Union.
It is held in accordance with the provisions of the Sports Architecture in Africa agreed by the 5th Ordinary Assembly of the Ministers of Sports, convened in 2013 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The organization of African Games draws from the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Statute of the Africa Sports Council.
This is the first time that the African Games are hosted by Morocco following the country’s readmission to the African Union.
The decision to stage the games in the North African country was made following the withdrawal of Equatorial Guinea.
