The course drew participants from all schools across the country.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the course instructor Solomon Bekele, said that he was very delighted to be in The Gambia for the course, adding that the course will enable Gambia to have at least one international volleyball referee.

He revealed that one of the aims and objectives of the course was to promote volleyball in The Gambia.

Speaking earlier the President GVB, Musa Cassa Taal, expressed delight to the participants for their commitment during the course and he described the course as the best GVBA stage.

For his part, the executive secretary National Youth Sports Council, Alieu Cham, expressed delight at the way the courses are done.

He revealed that the course is significant in the scenes that it will improve and develop volleyball in The Gambia.

At the end of the course certificates were awarded to the participants for their hard work and commitment.

VCP Volleyball Referees Course Funding

Point of correction, by Musa Casa Taal President of The Gambia Volleyball Association (GVBA).

In Tuesday’s edition, we made mention in one of our local sports stories captioned Gambia Volleyball Association “GVBA volleyball Referees course underway” that the training was funded by the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB). This we were told was not funded by the said Federation or anyone. However, the training was supposed to be funded by National Sport Council (NSC), Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) and this was not done.

The GVBA is doing its utmost to make the course successful with its meager resources.

The Gambia Volleyball Association will on Saturday the 18th October 2008 embark on a referees training course at the Friendship Hostel at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, according to a press release from the Gambia Volley Association (GVBA).

The press release however said that the GVBA solicits your contribution and support of all to make this program a success.

This course come at a time that the Nayconf is fast approaching and is believed that it would enable the referees to learn more about the basic rules of the game of volleyball.

The Gambia Football Referees Association last Sunday held a cooper test for its members at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

In an interview with Pointsports yesterday, shortly before leaving for Sierra Leone, Badou Jassey, chairman of The Gambia Football Referees Association, stated that the cooper test was meant to check the physical fitness of the referees. He noted that during the intensive exercise 18 referees were able to make it to the first division and this number includes second division referees whnao successfully made it through to the first division.

He also disclosed that Momodou Sowe, a renowned Gambian referee, and Lamin Camara will retire at the end of this year from FIFA and they will be replaced.

Mr. Jassey said that after the cooper test the association will send six names of referees and seven assistants to FIFA for their final approval. He added that initially the association used to send four names of referees and seven assistants but now Gambian football is developing they need more Gambian. “This will all depend on the approval of FIFA who will decide whether to leave it at four or increase the number of referees to six,” he noted.

The ongoing eight-team stakeholders football tournament initiated by the Gambia Football Coaches Association, which kicked off last Thursday, has seen a demonstration of equal contenders and interesting performances by participating teams.

On Friday, the Gambia football Coaches shamed a team composed of football administrators. The beat them 3-0. In the second game played the same day the fan club shared points with Security in a goal-less draw.

In the opening game played at the Independence Stadium earlier on Thursday Medical thrashed the Sport Journalist 4-0.

The team composed of football medics is a force to be reckoned with.

Ousman Manneh opened the scores in the 11th minute later, Mbye Bah, Lamin Jatta netted in the second then the third in the 29th and 32 minutes respectively.

Baboucarr Jawara capitalising on a defensive blunder in the 55th minute made it 4-0.

Last evening, as we went to press, the Football Referees were locking horns with Veterans, while the Sport Journalists were meeting Coaches in their second matches.

Following his suspension from the first division league of the Gambia Football Association GFA, the former U20 team captain and Hawks player Ken Malamin Jammeh is back on the field of play. He has urged all players to leave referees alone. Ken made these remarks with the Pointsports in an interview, after he was given a presidential pardon by the Gambia Football Association after a long spell of suspension. The suspension followed his violent and excessively brutal attack on the central referee Mawdo Jallow during their game with Armed Forces FC played at the Sere Kunda East Mini Stadium.

The press release from the GFA states, “following a presidential directive, I am to inform you of the nullification of the indefinite suspension of Mr. Ken Malamin Jammeh of your club for his violent and excessive brutal attack on the central referee Mawdo Jallow during your first round league match against Armed Forces played at the Sere kunda East Mini Community field.

Mr. Ken Malamin Jammeh is now free to take part in all the future matches of your club”.

“You are forewarned to be in your best behavior at all times and to refrain from such a violent and an unsporting behavior,” the press release concluded.

Speaking to Pointsports the Head Coach of Hawks FC Sang Dong said,

I am very pleased and satisfied with the decision and it is a good lesson for each and every player to learn from. The whole team welcome him back, he is always in training even when he was suspended he always came for training,” he stated.

 In his reaction Ken Jammeh said that he is very happy that he was forgiven to come back to play and is “ assuring all Gambians that what happened will not happen again. I am appealing to every player to leave the referees alone’. He then thanked all those who were behind him during this sad memory and promised them that this will not happen again that he has learned a big lesson from this. Ken also sent a special thanks to his fans and the coaches after the comments they made to see him back onto the field of play.

Meanwhile in another development 5 Gambians are suspended for the next two games due to their  scuffle with the Algerian players during the CAF qualifiers for the CAN 2008.

The players are Ousman Jallow, Lamin Conateh, Abdoulie Corr Assan Jatta and Habib Kunta who is suspended for slapping an opponent during the Gambia/ Mauritania match played in Nouakchott.

The players will miss The Gambia’s games against Liberia and Senegal on June 1st and June 6th 2008.

The President of The Gambia Wrestling Association Matarr Jarjue has revealed his association’s intention to introduce boxing wrestling, a more aggressive form of wrestling which is quite different from the traditional peaceful Gambian wrestling.

Speaking at a press conference at the National sports Council at the Independence Stadium which was aimed at revitalizing the game of Wrestling in the country, Mr. Jarjue said plans are already underway to bring Wrestlers from Casamance and other parts of Senegal to come in The Gambia as part of a grand competition to be staged between the 16, 17 in the February in The Gambia. He added that both boxing and normal wrestling will be contested.

The Wrestlers association President called on interested people to contact him at his office before the 9th of April 2008 for training.

He said,” As part of plans, we have already made an agreement with Senegal to come and train Referees in boxing wrestling”.

The Secretary General of the association Ebrima Sanyang said GWA plans to strengthen Wrestling nationwide by putting committees in every community in The Gambia.

 The vice president of the Association, Abdoulie Ablo Bojang, also expressed similar sentiments.