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Gambia: Jammeh Gives US$5,000 to Each U-20 Player, Promises to Send Fans to Canada

President Yahya Jammeh has again demonstrated the love and support he has for sports by giving US$5,000 to each player of the National U-20 team when the team paid a courtesy call on him at State House yesterday in preparation for their trip to Canada for the Fifa World Youth Championship which takes place from 30 June to 22 July this year.

The visit was in line with the traditional visits to the president before the final departure of the team for any international competition. 

The ceremony was attended by Secretaries of state, GFA officials and members of the press.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Jammeh told the boys that he had once sent a notice to FIFA that “The Gambia will soon be seen in international football competitions”.

 The president advised the boys to play as a team and discourage selfishness in the field of play, as such attitude would hardly lead the team to success or victory.

“We are going to the World Cup for the second time and it should not only stop there but we should see ourselves in the 2010 World Cup if you all play as a team,” the President advised the squad.

He also advised the boys to be disciplined, play with faith and zeal as well as avoid taking red cards which, he added, would disqualify them from being the most disciplined team in the tournament.

 President Jammeh also pledged to send a good number of fans to Canada to cheer up the boys during the tournament.

He said he believes that the fans can help in the successful winning of the cup, but warned against absconding to seek greener pasture.  “For it will be illegal for anyone to stay there,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the President of the Gambia Football Association (GFA), Seedy MB Kinteh, seized the opportunity to inform President Jammeh of the successful matches the team has played since they returned from the African Youth Championship held earlier on in Congo, where the team put up excellent performance and took third position with a bronze medal.

He also said Joseph Gomes was awarded the best goalkeeper and Ousman Jallow the leading goal-scorer of that Congo championship.

Mr Kinteh revealed that their initial trip to Canada for the draw of the fixture was sponsored by Gamtel and Gamcel, adding that they also managed to have a fruitful discussion with the Gambian community in Canada, who told them that they were ready to host the fans and the players during the tournament.

“A good number of 400 Gambians have a hall called the Gambia Hall which is owned and built by the Gambians themselves and they want to have the original flag and picture of the President,” he said.

He also thanked the president and his entire Cabinet for their support towards sports, which, he said, has paid dividend by taking Gambian sports, especially football, to a higher height.

For his part, the Secretary of State for Youth, Sports and Religious Affairs, Sheikh Omar Faye, thanked the president for his support towards the overwhelming progress of the team, from the level of U-17 to U-20.

He disclosed that the team will be leaving for training and camping in the US before proceeding to Canada.

Brigadier General Lang Tombong Tamba, 1st Vice President of the GFA, also expressed similar sentiments and called on the president to continue his kind gesture of taking Gambian fans to international events.