The Olympics have finally ended. Kudos to Gambian athletes who gave us immense pride and excitement to see them compete and fly the national flag at the global stage. Notwithstanding, the Gambia did not win a single medal when so much resources have been spent for the country’s participation in the Games. Why is this the case? What is the future of sports in the Gambia after sixty years of Independence?
Now that the Olympics have ended, there is a need for Gambians to have a serious and blunt conversation as to the way and manner sports are managed in this country. In the first place, why is the country sending only seven athletes to the Olympics and not many more? Where are the sporting infrastructures, competitions and facilities in this country to promote and develop athletics? What incentives exist for our athletes, especially when they go to such international competitions? How much money is the Gambia Government investing into athletics and sports in general?
These questions and many more need answers from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS), the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Gambia National Olympics Committee (GNOC). I am saddened to learn that Queen Gina, for example, had to go abroad to do her training because the necessary training facilities do not exist in her own country. Similarly, we can see that most, if not all the other Olympians are not home-based, thereby raising the question, ‘if they were based in the Gambia, could they have reached this level’? Why is the country unable to grow and develop home-based Olympians?
For example, do we have training facilities for taekwondo, swimming, judo, and athletics in this country? Do we have effective local, regional and national competitions for various sporting categories in this country? Why don’t these facilities and competitions exist in this country? There cannot be national institutions such as the MOYS, GNOC and NSC, yet the necessary sporting facilities are either absent or poorly managed such as the Independence Stadium?
Our public institutions must deliver the tasks assigned to them. Sports is not just an entertainment activity but above all, it is also a key for the social, economic and political development of the country. If the Government had built necessary sporting facilities in our schools and communities across the country by today the Gambia could have provided hundreds of Olympians in all categories of sports. Who said Gambians cannot be skateboarders, surfers, or cricketers, or compete in basketball, tennis, or golf, not to mention rowing, sailing, figure skating, gymnastics, fencing, hockey, wrestling, and cycling just to name a few?
Therefore, since Independence what has the Gambia Government been doing to develop these various categories of sports? The country could have better addressed, if not prevent altogether the terrible incidents of illegal migration, unemployment, crime, and substance abuse if the Government had invested in, developed and maintained quality sporting facilities and organized sporting competitions at all levels and regions. This would have enhanced the economic wellbeing of the youth, strengthened peacebuilding and developed communities thereby ensuring widespread prosperity for all because sport is wealth.
It is painfully sad that for 60 years of Independence the country has had only one stadium which has been run down due to negligence and corruption over the years. When you look into the schools, towns, and villages, one hardly sees any well-functioning and quality sporting facilities in place. Most schools and communities lack swimming pools, with no tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, while football fields are poorly kept. There are no cycling facilities while even traditional wrestling is fading away! Why can’t anything get better in this country?
With such a terrible situation, is it not a waste of money to even take part in the Olympics where the number of officials is more than the number of Olympians? There is a need for political parties, CSOs and indeed all citizens to raise their voices at the poor and mismanaged sporting environment in this country. It is high time citizens demanded the Government and the National Assembly to prioritize sports as a matter of national security, national development, peace building and national unity. There is huge potential for sports development in the Gambia yet left untapped. This cannot continue.
