By Nicholas Bass
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, has said the second phase of Independence Stadium’s renovation was not budgeted for in the 2024 Budget.
He made this disclosure in an interview with the national broadcaster’s multi-sports program.
The sports ministry is apparently in a race against time to calibrate the national stadium to FIFA standards after the world’s governing body recommended its renovation to be able to host international matches among others.
He explained that though the government did not make any budgetary allocation for the second phase of the national stadium’s renovation, it’s committed to mobilizing funds for the project before Scorpions’ next AFCON qualification round.
The sports minister was upbeat that the renovation of the Independence Stadium will be completed at the beginning of next month, stressing that a chunk of the project was complete.
On Gambia’s preparation for the upcoming World Cup, minister Badjie said the Scorpions are set to fly to Saudi Arabia for a training camp upon which they will play an exhibition game at the Independence Stadium before their encounter with the Teranga Lions of Senegal.
The sports minister pointed out that his ministry has yet to receive feedback from State-Owned Enterprises as regards its fund-raising drive. He disclosed that the Ministry has some cash generated from the last AFCON hosted in Cameroun.