Deposed Gambian Boxing Association President, Sang Correa, now in Italy, has refuted allegations peddled against him by his predecessor, Tamir Sarr, who alleged that, he Sang had masterminded the deportation of the six Gambian boxers by the Spanish authorities on their way to a championship in Milan, Italy.
Sarr claimed that Sang had misinformed the International Boxing Association, IBA, about the true nature of the Gambian delegation, which led to the detention and subsequent deportation of the boxers.
But, according to Sang, in an email and telephone call to www.Gamsports.com, the boxers were deported because they could not prove that they have enough funds to sustain themselves in Milan. He said this fact has been highlighted by Malick Njie, one of the deportees, in Point News paper’s interview.

“Those who had money and paid for themselves were allowed in,” he said.
He further alleged that contrary to what Sarr had said that he Sang had obtained GABA’s list of boxers of 19 people, alleging that this list was made available to him by certain genuine, but disgruntled boxers who were dropped from the list to make way for people with ‘questionable boxing qualifications’.
He said of the 19 people, the President and his Vice-President, and team leader Mr Mamadou Drammeh, each travelled with five people.
He said of all the delegations only two boxers took part in the championship; one competed and did very well, while the other was allowed to sleep with his girl friend a night before his fight which affected his performance.

Sang said he wondered how officials could allow athletes to their free will when they were supposed to compete.

He admitted that there were three genuine boxers in the Vice-President’s delegation, but noted that they had arrived late.
”The question I want to pose now is let GABA show the nation the rest of the people on the trip and fully explain who their so-called doctor, Kaddy Jabbie is and for which hospital is she working with, what is her qualification as a sports doctor. As far as I know, most of them are here in Italy,’’ Sang alleged. He wondered how it was possible for GABA to raise that big money for the travelling costs of all 19 people, if there were no persons who paid for themselves.”Does genuine athletes pay for themselves?” he asked. Sang concluded that though he has a great respect for the Sports Ministry he would like them to know the same reasons for, as he put it, he was alleged to have been removed.