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Gambia: Saller’s Plan to Set Up Soccer School in Gambia Hits Rocks

Richard Saller, the proprietor of the German top Sports Wear manufacturer, Saller, has revealed his plan to build an international Training center called Saller Soccer Education in The Gambia.

Speaking in an interview with a delegation from Gambia Sports Journalists Association in his office  in Weikersheimer in Germany, Saller revealed that his intension is to establish a soccer Education center in the Gambia but his wish has been facing lot of problems from sports authorities in the country.

Mr. Saller revealed that he came up with this idea of setting up this center in the Gambia  in 2005 and had revealed the proposal to the then president of the Gambia Football Association Alhagie Omar Sey when he visited his office just before the World U-17 Championship held in Peru.

"I show him all the programme and what is expected from them to get this modern center in the Gambia, the first of its kind in Africa but Mr. Sey did not show any interest," Mr. Saller revealed.

He added that they have also engaged the present executive committee of GFA and invited them to Germany to see for themselves the programme but still now it could not materialize.

Giving an inside of the Education programme, Mr. Saller said the center would be equipped with modern training materials.

"To be good players in the future, kids should undergo special programme such as feeding, techniques, tactiques, coordination, characters and how to love his nation." He revealed.

He added that big European countries like Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and England don’t need this programme because they have very good Soccer schools.

Mr. Saller revealed that his programme has been successful in some countries like Poland, Lithuania to name a few.

But Mr. Saller pointed out that he cannot implement the programme alone and need the support of government, Gambia Football Association, the private sector to set up the center and he would provide the material and the training programme.

"I don’t want to concentrate on one part of the country, I want to build the same facilities nationwide and at the end of every year an inter-center tournament would be organized to select the best players who would later undergo special training," he added.

Mr. Saller revealed that to set up the center this follow conditions should be fulfilled:

1 - Government and Gambia Football Association to accept the programme and ready to support

2 - Saller would come to the Gambia and present the programme to the people

3 - People should accept the programme to start it in The Gambia

4-Governmemt to allocate a land and encourage private sector, companies and individuals to support the programme