Editor,

Please, allow space in your most respectable paper to voice my concern about the punishment given to the Gambian defender, Ken Jammeh. There is absolutely no doubt that the man committed a serious mistake, but GFA has acting impulsively by giving this such a hash sentence, which is tantamount to the GFA shooting itself on the feet.

I believe that the idea of punishing Ken was to make him assume his place as a role model and behave like one, but not destroy his carrier as a footballer. Three years? GFA was too hash!

The idea is surely not to harm the Gambia. But as the way things stand now, Ken’s three year suspension is the beginning of his destruction as a player, because we can not deny that his absence will impact greatly on the Gambia’s performance.

I call on all the stakeholders to prevail on these extremely excited committee members that took such a devastating decision to revisit it before it is too late. Six months will be fine, probably with some monetary fine.

When you punish your young child for misbehavior it is for them to take a refined attitude, but not to incapacitate them. Come of it, GFA.

Lamin Marena

Kanifing