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.