Barely two days after Observer Sports reported on Jaysuma Saidy Ndure’s decision to run for Norway instead of his native Gambia, the national athletics governing body, has issued a strong statement down-playing any suggestion that the Gambia record holder in 100 and 200 metres naturalised because of lack of support.

The 23-year-old athlete had earlier on vowed to naturalise in Norway if he is not given the needed support. And as he currently represents the Scandinavian country at the IAAF Grand Prix at Rieti, Italy on Sunday, Jaysuma is already a Norwegian of Gambian descendent.

The Gambia Athletics Association said that Jaysuma was given all the attention and facility within the means of the athletics association.
“He was the only athlete selected to represent the Gambia at the African Championship in Brazzaville. All his travelling expenses and allowances for this competition were paid by the Gambia Athletics Association. He was also the only athlete to represent the Gambia at the World Games in Helsinki, Finland in 2005,” the statement revealed.

“Up to the time of changing his nationality, Jaysuma was the only athlete in the world who was awarded an Olympic Solidarity scholarship to the tune of 2,300 euros (equivalent to 27,600 euros annually) paid directly into his personal account in Norway. The normal procedure is that he was to be a trainee at a training centre to qualify him for the scholarship whereby this amount stated will be paid to the institution. The IOC has never accorded this privilege to any other athlete in the world. This privilege was made possible after much conviction from the GAA, and the Secretary-General in particular could not succeed in convincing him to be enrolled in a training centre.”

“In 2005, the Gambia Athletics Association also succeeded in securing a sponsorship for Jaysuma through the former General Manager of Senegambia Beach Hotel and First Vice President of GAA, Mr Dirk Dathe from his boss in Norway, Mr Selmer Sande. This sponsorship was up to NOK 50,000 (equivalent to D210,000.
In a recent release from the IAAF after the just ended Congress and World Games in Osaka, Japan, Jaysuma with eleven other athletes changed their allegiance which also includes 3 Kenyans, 2 Nigerians and one Jamaican.”

“The Gambia is not the only country affected and this is a great concern to affected member federations,” GAA stated.
The Bakau-born athlete finished second in the men’s 100 metres at the IAAF Grand Prix at Rieti, Italy, on Sunday, September 9. He finished behind Jamaican Asafa Powell who set a new men's world 100 metres record of 9.74 seconds.