71 Schools Gear Up to Battle for Trophies worth D100,000 and D50,000

By Adama Makasuba

At least seventy-one Junior and Senior Secondary Schools will be competing for national inter schools’ athletics championship. The two categories of schools will start competing on Friday to Sunday, all would be held at the Independent stadium in Bakau.

The Senior Secondary Schools are expected to clash for 100,000-dalasi cash and a trophy while the Junior Secondary Schools competitors would also compete for the 50,000 dalasi and a trophy.

And the annual competition among schools in the country is more than 40 years this year which seeks to moulding school going children to acquire varieties of skills in their years of studies at the lower grades. It is expected to bring together 900 school going athletes.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday at the stadium in Bakau, Ousman Kebbeh, acting president of Gambia athletics sports committee said: “We are trying this time to introduce the kids to standard form [of rules] so that they can be used to that starting from the formation, regulation and awarding will all be in standard form.”

There is massive improvement in terms of this competition, and we are trying to make sure it’s up standard and internationally such that people will be aware, he said.