Britain bids farewell to Gambia’s Olympians

Olympic Stadium

Gambia’s Olympians and Paralympians have been given a send-off on July 13, 2012 at reception hosted by the British High Commission (BHC) in the country. 

Gambia is due to partake in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic competitions that are less than two weeks away. 

Sports Ministry condemn IOC’s ‘undiplomatic’ threats

Sports Minister Alieu K. Jammeh

Gambia’s Sports Ministry has said it abhors the distasteful tone of language used in a letter by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) addressed to the Gambia National Olympic Committee last week.

While exhorting the Gambia Government not to interfere with the affairs of the GNOC, the IOC called a sports tribunal established by the Youth and Sports Minister “so-called” in the wake of the publication of the tribunal’s findings on last year’s GNOC elections. 

However, the Sports Ministry in a letter addressed to the IOC President, Jacque Rogge, said it condemns the “undiplomatic threats” embedded therein.

Gambia: IOC takes a dim view of Government’s stance on GNOC elections

Sports Minister Alieu K. Jammeh

The Gambia’s Sports Ministry last week revived the ill-fated February 12, 2011 elections of Gambia National Olympic Committee, GNOC, by calling it “a farce.”

The Government’s stance followed the release of findings by a sports tribunal it setup to look into last year’s GNOC elections which saw Mr. Alhagie Momodou Dibba take the reins at the expense of Mr. Abdoulie Bax Touray who boycotted the polls.

“Such an election without the supervision of the National Sports Council which is mandated to do so by law could best be described as a farce. The credibility of the election of February 12, 2011 was largely diminished as a result of voting by non- eligible voters,” the ministry said on Tuesday.  

“The Council shall ensure the election of an Olympic committee in accordance with the Olympic Charter for the purpose of ensuring The Gambia’s effective representation at each Olympic Games and for carrying out functions relating thereto,” the Ministry added in its June 12 statement.

Britain’s Foreign Office Relish Upcoming Paralympic Games

London 2012 Olympic Stadium

With 100 days to the London 2012 Paralympic games, Britain’s Foreign Office said on Monday that it is celebrating the Games, and their contribution to creating a more inclusive world.

“In 100 days, the Paralympic Games will come to the United Kingdom for the first time since its origins were founded in Britain in the 1948 Stoke Mandeville hospital games,” the 

Foreign office said in a May 21 statement. “From this humble beginning as a sporting event to help the rehabilitation of war veterans with spinal injuries, the Paralympic movement has grown phenomenally.”

Beijing protests means global travel ban for Olympic torch

Pix: Official London 2012

Following widespread protests against China in 2008 when it hosted in Beijing the Olympic Games, countries around the world, including Gambia may not have the chance to partake in this year’s Olympic torch relay.

Gambia: Olympic future remains uncertain

Youth & Sports Minister

When the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) presidential elections where held in a confusing atmosphere though the general body voted 26-0 to elect Momodou Dibba as president at the expense of his rival Abdoulie Touray’s storm-out.

It was hope that the dust for the long-standing presidential crisis has settled down once and for all, with the intervention of the National Assembly Select Committee on Sports prior to the second scheduled date for the polls.

However, following a petition by Mr. Touray’s camp challenging the manner in which the February 12 votes were conducted, the Sport Ministry announced that it had set up a Sports Tribunal effective March 10, 2011 to look into the elections.

GNOC secured over D2 million Japanese grant

The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy through APL Japan on Monday Feb. 14, 2011 signed a grant agreement for the implementation of the “improvement of sports facilities for youth development project” in the Kanifing Municipal Area.

The event also witnessed the singing of two other projects under the Japanese Grant, “the construction of SOS Children’s Village Bakoteh Multi-purpose Centre (49,067 Euro) and the Project for the Improvement of Agriculture Environment (70, 803 Euro) under the auspices of Gambia is Good Concern Universal.

Defeated GNOC Presidential Candidate Petitions IEC, Sports Ministry…

Bax Touray (pix by Gambiasports)

The defeated presidential nominee of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC), Mr. Abdoulie Bax Touray and his supporters has petitioned the Independent Electoral Commission and The Sport Ministry, challenging the manner in which the February 12, 2011 elections was conducted.

Touray’s camp whose boycott of the polls on Saturday, had little or no effect on the elections process, came along with a petition to the GNOC Complex on Mile 7 in Kanifing. “And a boycott was inevitable.” In the event, the General Body of the GNOC voted 26-0 to elect Alhagie Momodou Dibba as President, replacing the erstwhile Chief of Defence Staff of The Gambia Armed Forces Lt Gen Langtombong Tamba who was arrested, charged to court and convicted of plotting a coup in 2009.

GNOC elects Alhagie Momodou Dibba as President

Candidate Abdoulie Bax Touray storms out of Elections

Dibba (pix gambiasports)

The General Body of The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) on Saturday voted 26-0 to fill the position of president which has been vacant since November 2009, when former President Lt Gen Langtombong Tamba was arrested, charged to court and convicted of plotting a coup.

Out of a possible 47 votes, eight sporting associations having double votes, and 10 sporting associations and individuals with single votes voted for Alhagie Momodou Dibba, giving him a total of 26 votes. The remaining 21, including sporting associations with double and single votes and individual voters boycotted the polls, leaving presidential hopeful Abdoulie Bax Touray with zero votes.

Press release: Countdown to the GNOC Presidential Election

A M Dibba

The countdown to the first credible GNOC presidential election is slated for 12^th February 2011. I am confident that the eligible voters have already made their choice of candidate in the interest of sports development within The Gambia Olympic movement. The majority of sporting associations and individual sport personalities want to see a positive change after 21 years in the doldrums. 

IOC Issues Warning Ahead Of GNOC Elections

The Olympic body had earlier accused the Sport Ministry of interfering in the affairs of the GNOC

IOC TOP OFFICIALS

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a stern warning that it will neither tolerate any outside interference in the election process nor in the Gambia National Olympic Committee’s (GNOC) internal affairs and operations.

The crisis surrounding the GNOC Presidential Elections is due to end on Feb.12, 2011, when sporting delegates take to the polls to elect a president.

However, IOC said the election process must be conducted exclusively under the jurisdiction the GNOC and in particular under the leadership of Ms Beatrice Allen, as NOC Acting President, according to the process that was established by the GNOC and with the list of voting members endorsed GNOC in accordance GNOC’s Constitution and the Olympic Charter.