By Nicholas Bass
The Coach of Queen Park Rangers (QPR), Saikou Ndong over the Weekend accused Tujereng Sports Committee of embezzling D75,000 without giving his team a cash price of D35,000 as Winners of the past ‘‘Nawettan” competition in the Senior Male football category.
In a brief interview on the telephone with this reporter, the Coach, Saikou Ndong, in his dismay regarding his team’s pending cash price of D35,000 as winners expressed his disappointment with the level of incompetence Tujereng Sports Committee displayed by collecting a total sum of D75,000 without giving cash price of D35,000 to his team (Queen Park Rangers) being the winner of the senior category of the Nawettan football tournament.
He said their excuses concerning the pending D60,000 the CEO of Darboe Julla Estate Company promised them was not enough reason for their (Tujereng Sports Committee ) refusal to give them the cash price they competed for in the ‘Nawettan’.
Coach Ndong stressed that Tujereng Sports Committee claimed to have invested the profit of the past Male Nawettan in the 3rd Divisional team qualifiers that were recently knocked out by Busumbala Sanjonding FC in a rescheduled final at Brikama Mini Stadium. Adding that, they should have put the budget of finalists aside.
Ndong questioned the competency of Tujereng Sports after failing to settle the debt of D60,000 for the Winners and the runners-up of the past senior ‘Nawettan ‘saying it was more than three (3) months the Committee did not settle a debt of D60,000 for the finalists.
However, the Public Relations Officer of Tujereng Sports Committee, Musa Jatta, on Saturday said Tujereng Sports Committee did not embezzle D75,000 and they did not refuse to pay a debt of D60,000 to the finalists of Senior Newattan.”
PRO Jatta noted that the profit of the Senior Male Nawettan was spent on the qualifiers of the community’s 3rd Divisional team, adding that the CEO of Darboe Jula Estate Company, Mr. Darboe gave them (TSC) a fake check to Trust Bank that led them into a debt of D60,000.
When Ousman Marena, the Coach of Manchester United was contacted for his opinion regarding this allegation he reserved his opinion, saying, VDC knows everything they are passing through regarding the pending cash price.
But a reliable source (name withheld) has revealed to this reporter that the Coach of Manchester United, Ousman Marena has filed a letter at the Village Development Committee for them to resolve the debt of Tujereng Sports Committee.
The head of Sports of Village Development Committee, Lamin Bojang disclosed that they requested an annual budget from the Village Sports Committee and they (TSC) gave them a budget of the Senior Male Nawettan where a sum of D50,000 was given to Tujereng Sports Committee for their preparation of the football competition.
Bojang said that the Village Sports Committee failed to retire the budget of D50,000 which make the VDC withhold their assistance because they violated their financial standard.
Mr. Bojang confirmed that Tujereng Sports Committee financed the Village 3rd Divisional team before they (VDC) reached the peak of the qualifiers.