According to the Gambia Athletic Association Secretary General, Dodou Joof, alias Capi, the Gambian delegation would be headed by Coach Bamba Njie. He added that among the Athletes to represent the Gambia include Suwaibou Sanneh, Isaac Jones, Abdoulie Assin, Momodou Lamin Kujabi and Omar Ceesay.

Sources has also disclosed to this paper that the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports and the official at the department yesterday bid farewell to the Athletes before their departure.

Ever since youth have been playing a pivotal role in the propagation and spreading of Islam all over the world. Thus the role of youths in Islam cannot be over emphasised.

It is said that during the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) young people were always at the forefront even during jihad (Muslim Holy war). They made a lot of selfless sacrifices to see to it that Islam grew speedily and defeat its enemies. It was also said that Muslim youths at the time always gave up their lives for the sake of the religion. Well Muslim youth in The Gambia are also playing their role as future hopes of this great and righteous religion.

In this Holy Month of Ramadan for instance particularly during these last ten days the young people are playing a very important role in our mosques.

Youth are found in almost all the major mosques in the Greater Banjul Area leading prayers through out the night. Before in The Gambia, very few youths were able to able to master the whole Quaran known as (Hafiq Quran) but today many youth in the country can read the whole Quran off head.

Young people should continue to rededicate their efforts in the promoting and propagating Islam. Young people are able, strong and active thus the need to continue play their role in Islam as the religion needs them.

As future Islamic leaders, Muslim youth must continue to follow in the footsteps of the current prominent scholars. This is definitely attainable if young people change their attitude towards Allah. Youth should continue to say their prayers regularly if they are to be sure of entering paradise.  As Muslim youths we must always intensify our efforts and always defend this powerful religion of ours.

The Tujereng Youth and Sports Committee ECO- Bank sponsored league final for the seniors is expected to be play after the Koriteh, likewise the juniors.

In an interview with Pointsports, the president of the committee, Inspector Bai Essa Jawara, said for the senior category Jungle Tigers will meet Paul Tone, whilst for the juniors Manchester United will lock horns with Young Nema.

Mr. Jawara stated that for the knockout tournament they are yet to secure sponsorship but appealed to donors and institutions to come to their aid.              

In a bid to familiarise himself with departments under his office, the Honorable Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, Sheriff Gomez, yesterday paid a visit to the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) at their headquarters in Bakau. In a meeting with the NYSS management, Secretary of State Gomez, who was one time staff of NYSS, said he was there not only as a visitor but also a colleague. He spoke at length on the importance of youths being engaged in acquiring marketable skills to earn a better living and contribute fully to national development. He assured NYSS of his collaboration in the interests of the Gambian young people. “As future leaders and cream of the society you must be well prepared to take up the challenges,” he said.

Mambayick Njie, Permanent Secretary Youth and Sports, expressed his delight over what the NYSS is doing for the young people of the country. He observed that the scheme has now passed the planning stage and is at implementation stage.

In his welcoming remarks, Musa Mbye, Executive Director NYSS, welcomed the Secretary of State and delegation to his office. He revealed that NYSS has trained many young people in various fields of studies. He informed the Secretary of State

Youth are the future leaders, it is said and the Church recognizes this point and takes it as vital. Youth are given preference in the Church for their own development and growth. The youth of the Gambian church have a pivotal role to play in the life of the Catholic Church and in society at large. Certain hard times bring back youth from realizing their full potentials for the realization of their role as future leaders in society. The youth also others will blame for bad attitude towards their future lives but the youth is between the Church, parents and the society what is their role towards the youth? Christian Panorama looks through and offers some answers, read on.

The home is the first teacher comprising of the mother, father and other elders of the family in an African setting. The parents are said to be incharge of the child’s growth and early beginnings, which means they owe a lot to the molding of the child from its inception. Children according to psychologists are born with empty brains, what they term as “tablerazers,” meaning empty. The brain is empty until those brains are filled. This takes quite a painful period and parents should be more careful at this stage to enable them get the best.  From the early stage of these developmental stages in man, the neighbours too play their own role in the molding or filling of the brain to what the society would use later. In a Christian setting the parents show very good examples to their children especially through their Christian living. They are obliged to teach them to love God and teach them to pray all the time. Teaching them morals is part of molding them into what it is supposed to be. Many parishes have formulated youth activities, starting from children to the young adult. Parents are only asked to send their children to be a part of such groups. Many parents fear to send their children to such functions so as to get their children under control at home. Most children are not able to comport themselves when parents are absent. Thus bringing the fear to release their children.

The community too sits to watch the good or bad children. Mostly the onlookers that are the neighbours fear to help children fearing other parents’ reaction for instilling discipline. The community has a limited space to discipline those that do not belong to them.

Parents have the bigger say and should be flexible either with the youth, the society or the church in the development of these children. They will receive the greater bit of the successes their children will score as elders or future leaders.

Pope Benedict XV1th. recently met with world youth in Sydney Australia. He previously met with them in Germany. Gambian youths were a part of it and today many of them dream of attending such functions to enhance them.

It was with disappointment that the ticket for going to Australia could not be purchased by some youth that could not afford it. Those who could afford it were refused visa to that country. Society could have done more to ensure that these youth, anxious to meet other youth made to go. But their passports were sent and returned rejected. This made a lot of the youth loose hope and become lazy about their organizations. Many churches did not do much either to see that one or two of their church youth go for the youth function.

Gambia Catholic Youth have not relented either. The Diocesan Youth Council (DYC), responsible for youth activities of the Diocese of Banjul recently called on all youth of the Catholic Churches for a Summer Youth Camp in a secluded area called Soma. This is in line with what Christ Himself had done with His Apostles when he took time out to pray and reflect alone. The DYC under the guidance of Joseph Colley, who has been fighting tooth and nail to bring the youth together, spent four days with the youth in prayer, fasting and reflection. The Summer Camp announced all over the churches could only attract ten of the youth in the diocese. Many people said most of the youth were busy with their summer classes while others feel more should be done for them by helping to pay their camp fee.

The Youth Summer Camp held from August 27 to August 31st. and attended by ten DYC members was a success according to Pierre Mendy. He said they prayed, played and meditated a lot on their future and the past to forge ahead for a better youthful days. He said they were mostly impressed by the youth behaviour and encouraged parents to be part of their children’s growth. “We believe parents have a pivotal role to play to enable youth be more useful as future leaders,” Pierre Mendy said.

Asking one of the parents why she did not let her two children go for such a youth experience, Rose Mendy said it is a good thing for children but it was not easy to let go of my kids for such a vital exposure. “The only problem is I am not sure of what is there and the money too was expensive. It could have cost me nearly a thousand including pocket money for the two of them. Apart from that I could not be sure of girls leaving for an unknown place,” She said.

The problem here for the growth of the youth remains fear, poverty, parents and society and the slow pace of generosity in society. Parents need help to help their children and so it is to put things in place for the development of these youths who would take over from the elderly. “Let us invest on our youth and at our old age they shall improve our lives with the new trend of things we shall not be in line with but they will be vital for our existence,” says David Noah of Bakau.

Friday 22nd August 2008 marks the beginning of a  very important activity. The Gambia Coaches Association will open a youth camp with over 120 youth at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Coach Peter Bonu Johnson told the youths that it is very important for them to respect the call for their national teams and it is a source of pride for every player to play for his or her country.

In his remarks Alhaji Njie Biri Biri told the players to be committed and disciplined if they want to achieve their aim of being professional players. He then prayed for the youth to achieve their goal of being professional players so that The Gambia will have better players in the future.

Other speakers included Ansu Fatty assistant coach Hawks FC and the Ceremony was chaired by Ebrima Manneh head coach of Interior FC.

Meanwhile the GFCA, in collaboration with the GFA, are conducting a basic football clinic for coaches in Lamin Nawettan. The topics to be covered are:

1.         Role of a Coach.  

2.         Planing training of the game

3.         Technical training

4.         Game situation

5.         Laws of the game some others.

Some of the instructors are president Pa Faye, Baboucarr Demba (Boris ) Lamin Sambou (LS) Alhajie Amat Cham and Jerreh Faye a veteran football referee.

The Speaker of the National Youth Parliament, the Honorable Lamin F.Bojang, has been awarded the Peace and Love Award by Energy Boys and Girls of the World Federation for Peace and Love based in Taiwan.

He received the said award last Thursday 14th August at the end of the 5th Session of the United Nations Annual Youth Assembly, at the United Nations in New York. Speaker Bojang who was awarded the Peace and Love Medal alongside over a dozen young people from around the world who were commended for their contribution to the development of young people in their respective countries.

 Presenting the medal to the Awardees, Ying – Chen, a member of the Energy Boys and Girls, remarked that her parent organisation is operating worldwide and working to promote world peace and love.

 She noted that her organisation is indeed very grateful to award a medal to outstanding youth personalities whose contribution to world peace through their respective organisations complements world peace and love.

 In receiving the award, Hon. Bojang thanked the Energy Boys and Girls for the encouragement. He called on them to collaborate with young people of The Gambia, as the relationship between the Taiwan and The Gambia is excellent. This he said can be supported through creation of partnership between like-minded organisations in two countries.

Young people, he added, have a major stake in the development of their societies and the world as a whole. He therefore stated that the inculcation of responsible behavior and attitude goes a long way in the promotion and protection of world peace.