By: Penda Joof
As the Gambia National Olympic Committee’s elective congress draws nearer, Team Yoka Ndam, one of the aspiring teams to lead the nation’s athletics sporting discipline, has released its manifesto and unveiled the members to take charge of the affairs.
Muhammed M. Jagana, the presidential aspirant of the team, said his vision, encapsulated in the Transform GNOC Initiative (TGI), is to revitalize and redefine the GNOC to achieve international sporting excellence through robust governance, innovative programs, and inclusive policies that nurture talent across all corners of The Gambia.
‘’Strong governance by implementing comprehensive training for GNOC, national associations and federations board members on ethical leadership, create a transparent, merit-based selection process for athletes and officials, involving community input, conduct regular audits and compliance reviews, publicly reporting on findings to enhance accountability. We will launch targeted outreach programs in schools and communities to encourage female participation, forge strategic collaborations with local and international women’s sports organizations, and to ensure equal access to resources and facilities for female athletes,’’ Mr Jagana stated during the launch of the team’s manifesto on Sunday.
The team leader also disclosed his intention to improve beach sports, formulate a comprehensive financial strategy outlining partnership opportunities with corporate sponsors and international grants, establish an ‘Athlete Fund’ to provide scholarships, training support, amongst other activities.
The team also disclosed its commitment to empower Gambianathletes and inspire global excellence in sports entrepreneurship, sports diplomacy and sports economy.
Jagana, a chartered accountant and entrepreneur, was introduced as the team’s candidate for presidency whileLamin King Colley was introduced as 1st vice presidentialcandidate, Saul Frazer (2nd Vice President Candidate), FatimBadjie (Secretary-General Candidate), Mass Manjang(Treasurer Candidate), Momodou Sompo Ceesay (Executive Member Candidate), Timothy Colley (Executive Member Candidate) and Gheran Senghore (Executive Member Candidate).