Eight female sports reporters from Gambia end courses in Dakar

Foroyaa's Isatou Bittaye

More than 80 African female sports reporters took part in the final session of a training programme run by the AFP Foundation, in partnership with FIFA, in Dakar, Senegal on April 29, 2011, according to a press statement from FIFA.

The week-long courses, which provide training in football theory, began in Nairobi and Dakar at the end of last year and drew to a close at the end of April, eight weeks before the kick-off of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

The Gambia was represented by seven participants in the persons of Fatou Saho, City Limit Radio; Rohey Bittaye, Vibes FM; Ndey Busso, GRTS TV; Ida Bah, Unique FM; Mama Faal, City Limit Radio; Fatoumatta Mboge, West Coast Radio; and Isatou Dumbuya, The Point newspaper.

The Foroyaa newspaper’s Isatou Bittaye is also attending the same course with a separate badge that is due to finally bring to an end of all the training programmes financed by the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA).

“The participants in the courses were members of the African Women Sports Reporters’ Union (AWSRU), representing a total of 23 countries. The programme started in 2010 when almost 250 African reporters and photographers attended courses as part of FIFA’s Win in Africa with Africa initiative, launched,” FIFA said. 

With this year’s flagship competition, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, coming up in June 2011, FIFA and the AFP decided to continue the successful project, this time by offering courses exclusively for women.

The successful participants were presented with their diplomas by representatives of the AFP Foundation and FIFA at the closing ceremony, attended by many national dignitaries, including not only the Director of the Sports Minister’s Cabinet, Adama Thiam, but also Ibrahima Ndao, Director of Infrastructure at the Ministry of Sport, Amsatou Fall, National Technical Director at the Senegalese Football Association, Eliott Khouma, the founder of Senegalese women’s football, and Seyni Ndir Seck, former captain of the Senegalese women’s national team.

FIFA added: “To acknowledge the commitment and excellence demonstrated during the course, four of the participants will be rewarded with a trip to cover the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.”