The Gambia Karate Federation will hold a fresh congress on Saturday, July 19, at the Independence Stadium, Bakau. The move to have a fresh elections was reached after the National Sports Council - umbrella body for all  sporting associations -  declared the first congress “null and void”.

Mr Omar Manjang was recently elected as the new president of the federation. However, after meeting with various karate clubs, the National Sports Council called for fresh elections in a bid to solve the division that exists in the federation.

The development officer at the National Sports Council, Abdul Azziz Titao Mendy, said all member clubs should send in three delegates for Saturday’s congress.

He said a notification letter for the elections has been sent to all member clubs for them to come and exercise their constitutional rights in the weekend, noting that the move is only meant to resolve the ongoing problems hindering the development of Karate in the country.

The Gambia Karate Federation will hold fresh congress on July 19, at the Independence Stadium, Bakau. The move to have a fresh election was reached at after the National Sports Council - umbrella body for all the sporting associations,  declared the first congress “null and void”.

Mr Omar Manjang was recently elected as new president of the federation. However, after meeting with various karate clubs, the National Sports Council called for a fresh election in a bid to solve the faction that exists in the federation.

The development officer at the sports council. said all member clubs should send in three delegates for the July 19 congress.

He said a notification letter for the election will be sent to all member clubs for them to come and exercise their constitutional rights on the day, noting that the move is only meant to resolve the ongoing problems hindering the development of Karate in the country.

Today is International Nurse’s Day celebration.The world nursing federation, in collaboration with local nurses associations, commemorate this important day each year. The theme for this year’s celebration is:  “Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care”.

Dr Tamsir Mbowe , director of health services, who also doubles as the director general of the Presidential medical treatment programme, who delivered a paper on the commemoration, said the occasion was meant for every midwife to think about the many others in the profession, making new contacts within and outside the profession as well as to widen the knowledge of what midwives do for the world.

Dr Tamsir Mbowe  added that the aim of the day was to celebrate midwifery and to bring awareness of the importance of midwives’ work to as many people as possible. “This year, the focus of the celebration is on ‘Healthy Families: the key to the future’.

Midwives help to build healthy families”. Midwifery care for women and their babies is an investment that promotes healthy growth and well being for the present and future generations of our countries.  Midwives’ commitment to families, within a functioning health system and supportive environment is also a core element of Primary Health care.

According to Dr Mbowe, the world is challenged by the paucity of midwives especially in the rural areas, among others, to effectively reduce maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality, to which The Gambia is no exception.

Dr Tamsir Mbowe said the Gambian leader, President Yahya Jammeh,  has as high on his priority making health care accessible and affordable to all who live in The Gambia. “This is reflected in the building of new health care facilities and the training of more health workers: doctors, nurses and midwives, public health officers and community workers.The Gambia government will do all it can to improve general working conditions, with incentives, for health workers”.

This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) marks 60 years of service to humanity and 60 years of affiliation with International Council of Nurses. It also marks 30 years since the goal of universal access to health services through primary health care, as enshrined by WHO and Member States in the declaration of Alma-Ata, which highlighted the “gross inequality in the health status of the people particularly between developed and developing countries.

“In 2008  primary health care is again high on the global health agenda.  The International Council of Nurses is celebrating nursing’s leadership and advocating for greater nursing involvement in Primary Health Care, the key strategy to achieving universal access and better health for the world’s people.

What have we learned?

When we embraced Primary Health Care (PHC) in 1978, we saw it as the optimal route for improving health and addressing the enormous challenges facing health care systems. AS we plan ahead, it is useful to take stock of and learn from our successes and failures. Communities should be empowered, to enable them to take responsibility for their health care. All  stakeholders in health care should commit their efforts towards the delivery of quality care and serving their respective communities”.

In an unprecedented attempt to provide, replenish and activate the potent impetus for authentic Islamic scholarly research, intellectual and scientific learning in The Gambia, the Al Atharee Association of The Gambia last Thursday opened a unique Islamic Reference Library in the village of Kartong, Kombo South.

The association is a registered charity involved in Islamic education, Dawah and propagation.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdur Rahman La-Touche, Director of the association, revealed that their motto is ‘Action upon the certain knowledge, with firm intention to seek the pleasure of Allah alone’. He thanked all those who contributed to the implementation of the project. “We hope and pray that this Islamic reference library is not only useful for readers among Gambian people alive today, but also for generations yet to born” he said.

Mr. La-Touche is a British national born in the Caribbean and now resident in The Gambia. He also reveled to journalists that the project cost about seven hundred thousand Dalasis.

For his part, Ismaila Sambou, Secretary of State for Local Government, Lands and Religious Affairs applauded the initiative. He encouraged people to make the best use of the facility.

Madam Mariam Downewlan La-Touche, wife of Mr. La-Touche who is also a librarian, informed reporters that the reference library would strengthen the knowledge of Allah and Prophet (SAW).

The reference library said to be the first of its kind in the country and is located next to Masjid al-gurabaa. It has over two thousand different authentic books including meaning of Quran in English, Tafseer (explanation of Quran), Ahadith, Fiqh, Tawhid, Aqeeda (correct belief) Eemaan (action upon belief) and Islamic dictionaries.

Several dignitaries including the Western Region Governor Abdou Badgie and prominent Islamic scholars attended the event.

Meanwhile, at end of the ceremony, this reporter managed to get the opinion of the President of Supreme Islamic Council Alhaji Banding Drammeh. This is what he had to say; “ The importance of this facility cannot be over emphasised as it has both Arabic and English sections”. He noted that people couldn’t worship Allah without knowing him and that the reference library would enable people know more about Allah. He encouraged other Islamic associations in the country to emulate the Al Atharee Association of The Gambia. 

Lamin King Colley, chairman of the Western Region Sports Committee has revealed that national sports associations belong to the people and as such should serve in the best interest of the citizenry. He said that national sports associations must not be used as a venture for self-enrichment, noting that such concept no doubt contributes to the retardation of sports development in the country.

King Colley made these remarks during the first-ever general congress of The Gambia Weight Lifters and Body Builders Association held at the Independence Stadium on Sunday.

The Brikama Youth and Sports Committee president said sports associations must be formed based on national interest, adding that this must also adhere to the national sports policy that is serving as a guideline. He expressed his dismay over some dormant associations, describing their formation as baseless since their failure to register any success.

‘’It is always very painful and sad to see some associations calling themselves national associations when they don’t even have a good structure. How can one consider such associations functional if they cannot even organise national leagues.”

In fact some of them are not even making any effort to see that their disciplines are decentralised “

King Colley turned bold when single out The Gambia Athletics Association (GAA) as one such association who has failed to live up to expectations.

He said: “ A big association like the GAA only make execute their administrative works during ceremonial events. Any time you go to their Independence Stadium based offices, the doors are always locked.”

“How can there be an administrative work and proper planing for sports development in such offices,’’ he chastised.

Representatives of various national sporting associations in the country at a stakeholder meeting held at the Friendship Hotel recently, called on the government of The Gambia to provide office space for all sporting associations in the country.

According to the representatives, as part of efforts to put order in all associations, government should take the leading role of providing an office complex housing all sporting associations.

“When you go to neighboring country Senegal, all National sporting Associations have been allocated office space to run their activities and I believe if we are given the same attention coupled with subvention from the National Sports Council, no discipline will remain dormant because we will at least have something to begin with,” said Musa Casa Taal of the Gambia Volleyball Association.

Johnny Gomez of the Gambia Cricket Association, Alieu Cham of Special Olympics, and others who spoke at the meeting said housing is one of the major problems faced by sports in The Gambia; and that in solving or addressing the status of sports in the country, government should identify accommodation for the associations, citing Independence Stadium as an appropriate venue.

“As far as the current state of affairs goes, it is proving very difficult to even locate some sporting disciplines operating in the country owing to lack of a permanent address,” they pointed out.

The stakeholders meeting was convened by the Department of State for Youth and Sports under the leadership of Secretary of State Mass Axi Gye, to discuss the way forward for Gambian sports.

In their bid to create more awareness among young people of the country on issues of concern, Save the Youths Action Group, SYAG, recently concluded a three-day youth camp for over one hundred and seventy youths from different youth associations in the country.

The camp, held at Bokaloho Skills Centre in Abuko, ended with a closing ceremony held at Abuko Upper Basic School.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Pa Malick Ceesay, advised youths to maintain the culture of tolerance and discipline at all times.

Mr. Muhammad L. Marr, Executive Director of SYAG, applauded the participants for their patience and participation in the camp. He encouraged them to make the best use of the skills acquired from the camp.

Mr. Marr also thanked National Aids Secretariat, NAS, for funding the camp, revealing that the 57 participants, who underwent Voluntary Counseling and Testing, were all found HIV-negative.

Mr. Babou Jobe, a representative of NAS, expressed his positive impression with SYAG for the successful camp.

Other speakers at the closing ceremony include Mr. Babucarr Sinajoko, Principal of Bokaloho Skills Centre.

Meanwhile, at the end of the ceremony, participants were awarded certificates. Individuals, including our Youth Forum columnist, Mr. Nfamara Jawneh, were also awarded Certificate of Honour for their continued contribution towards the development of the young people of The Gambia.

The Gambia Football Coaches Association (GFCA) on Wednesday defeated the Sport Journalists Association of the Gambia (SJAG) 2-0 in a friendly encounter played at the Independence Stadium.

Despite the result, both teams played a good game resulting to a goalless draw in the first half of the game.

The coaches took the lead just 10 minutes after the break after the Sport Journalists failed to capitalise on their numerous chances.

Sulayman Jobe netted the second goal to seal the 2-0 win for his side 10 minutes before the final whistle.

The sport Journalist could have levelled the scores if Namory Trawally, Gibril Jassey and team captain Pa Modou Faal utilised properly the final touches.

Presidents’ Sports Journalists and Coaches Association Namory Trawally and Pa Suwareh Faye respectively hailed the good initiative and called on other Associations to emulate the move.

It could be recalled that in a friendly encounter played earlier this year, the sport Journalists were trashed 5-0 by the Serrekunda East Zonal Committee.