The Gambia will join other African countries to participate in a special multi-game competitions organised by the Zonal Associations of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Zanoca).

The regional games are scheduled to kick off from December 23 to December 29, 2006 in the Malian capital, Bamako. The Gambian team, that left Banjul on Tuesday, December 19, comprised of U-20 football team, athletes, among other disciplines-all in the U-20 category.

In an interview with Observer Sport yesterday, the Executive Secretary of the Gambia Olympic Committee (GNOC), Mr Gorge Gomez, said the Gambian delegation left with five teams in five different sporting disciplines. The football team, according to him, comprised of 18-man squad, a referee and a team doctor, while the athletics team composed of six females athletes, twenty male athletes and two senior officials. Mr Gomez added that the boxing team has three prospective boxers, one official and a referee while the wrestling team is made up of four prolific wrestlers, an official and a referee. Gomez said the Gambia also produced a taequando team that have two males.

Mr Gomez expressed optimism that The Gambia will return home with triumph. "The team left in good-spirit and I am very much optimistic that they will make us proud," he said glowingly.