Gambia News : The Gambia begins rugby development
Feb 16,2009 00:00
by
lamin
Rugby is a relatively unknown sport in The Gambia but that may soon not be the case if a story in Monday’s private daily, The Point newspaper in Banjul, is anything to go by.According to The Point, 38 youths from different schools and organizations over the weekend received training in the basic techniques of the game at the Independence Stadium, about 12 kilometres outside Banjul in order to promote the development of the game in The Gambia.
According to The Point, the initiative is being pursued by an interim committee whose rugby development officer and secretary general, Bai Abdoulie, said that the intention is to popularize rugby in the country.
Another person involved in the scheme was one Mrs. Margaret Medland who led a group of technicians as a facilitator of the programme. She said her group was rendering their support through the Kent Rugby Club in the United Kingdom, the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Development Trust, all in the UK.
She also spoke of plans to provide technical assistance to rugby clubs in The Gambia by next year.
Noting the low level of awareness on rugby in The Gambia, Medland expressed the hope that the training would help develop many young talents to eventually represent The Gambia at international level.
“We will get in touch with the African Development Rugby officer based in South Africa to support The Gambia rugby initiative,” she added.