By Kemo Kanyi
Bakary Y. Badjie, minister for Youth and Sports, has committed his ministry’s approval to build advanced sporting infrastructure rather than participating in the international arena without winning accolades, saying sports infrastructure development is more important to the government.
Minister Badjie made this remark during the validation of the National Sports Policy held at the Metzy Hotel on Wednesday, 21st August 2024.
The ten-year policy cycle will cover between 2024-2034 and the Institute for Sports and Development (ISD) was the consultant firm that designed the policy.
The sports minister admitted that competitors, representing the country are exposed to facilities in the international competitions that Gambia doesn’t have, hence performances do not yield winning achievements when participating in those advanced facilities.
“Over the years, we have observed how our lack of infrastructure has affected our performance and our talent development at our country level. Our wish in this new policy is that we will be able to raise as many resources as we can to invest in developing the sports infrastructure,” he pointed out.
He urged rationality in addressing the reasons behind Gambia’s underachievement in international competitions.
“If we complain that we couldn’t win because we are exposed to facilities that we were not used to back home, and then we need to think twice. Why use that money and develop the facility? So that in the next two, three years we will be able to go out there and be able to develop infrastructure at home and minimiseparticipation. That, in the next four years, we would have had some adequate or at least reasonable facilities and be able to develop the talents locally, and we would have a pool of athletes where we can choose from to be able to send them to participate and they would definitely do well because they’re well trained at the country level,” he emphasized.
He said if the government spends 3,000,000.00 on an international competition, that amount can develop at least one sporting infrastructure instead of sending athletes to participate without proper home training as it will help bring success in the competition aspect by winning.
“Our position as the Ministry is that we need to invest more in the development of the facilities at home. This is one of the key highlights in the policy and is the vision we want to push, and we want associations to support us in order for us to succeed,” he underscored.
Ndey Marie Njie, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, enjoined the participants to thoroughly scrutinise the policy so that the country can have the best National Sports Policy during the ten-year period.
She said the inputs made by the participants in validating the draft shall surely decide the faith of sports development in the country.
