By Adama Makasuba
Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia dubbed SJAG is in preparation for their 10th edition of National Sport Awards Night and Gala schedule for 20 April, 2019 at Cocoa Ocean.
The annual awards night is meant to celebrate and award past and present sports personalities who have done so much for the country.
This year’s event is expected to be grace by Senegal’s minister of sports, Matarr Ba, Senegalese head coach Aliou Sise and former Senegalese international player Henry Camara, and, Guinea Bissau’s sports minister.
The association has over the past nine editions awarded many individuals, including three-time CAF’s Africa best referee award winner Bakary Papa Gassama and other sports legends and personalities in the country.
The sports journalists of The Gambia and Senegal would also play a friendly football match a day prior to the event, aim to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the sports associations of the two countries.
In an exclusive interview with the secretary general of SJAG, Alieu Ceesay said: “It is actually meant to award, celebrate and honor our past and present sports personalities who have done so much for this country in their different sporting disciplines.”
“So we decided as a professional body… is good that we are seeing them, celebrating and honoring them to inspire the younger generation to look up to them and take up sports as their profession. We are looking forward to a very successful event,” he said.
SJAG is the umbrella body overseeing all practicing sports journalists in The Gambia, as an affiliate to The Gambia Press Union (GPU) and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).