The Gambia has added another medal to her haulage at the African athletics championship in Mauritius. After sensationally winning the women’s 100meters women final, through Gina Bass, the country’s 4x 100 relay team again featuring Gina, Fatou Sowe, Maimuna Jallow and Nyimasata Jammeh (Chucha) finished on the podium coming third in the event. The men’s relay team too reached the finals of the 4x 100 relay.
So far, the two medals have done enough to establish the country’s athletics credentials. The Gambia athletics officials in Mauritius are hopeful that with the good performance of both the male and female relay teams, both are medal hopefuls at the coming Commonwealth Games, the Islamic Games and the world championships, all coming later this year.
The Standard has learned that the women’s relay team is not included in the Gambian delegation to the Commonwealth Games reportedly for lack of funding. We call on the Gambia National Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports to urgently fill the funding gap and send all good athletes to the Games to maximise the country’s medal haulage at world events.
