Both Wallidan basketball teams (male and female) emerged gallant winners in their respective basketball knockout finals played over the weekend at the Manneh Sillah Memorial lawn in Banjul.

First to delight hearts were the female team who beat their opponents, Dingareh, 32-16 in a fiercely- competed match to land the coveted title.

The male team matched their performance with a hard-fought victory over arch rivals YMCA.

Wallidan male team captain, Assan Jasseh, put up a stunning display to help his side edged out their opponents by 90 to 85 points in front of hundreds of enthusiastic hoop fans which included the President of the Gambia Basketball Federation, Mr. Mam Essa Gaye.

Both teams earlier won the national league titles before wrapping up the league season with the knockout titles.

The Wallidan teams who have been at the hem of Gambia basketball league since its inception, five seasons back, will be officially crowned in a special award ceremony to be decided in due course by the basketball federation.

Meanwhile, the victorious Wallidan sides are expected to travel to Louga, Senegal, in early April where they will take part in an international basketball friendly that will gather teams from France, Mauritania and other part of the region. The record-breaking friendly tournament is scheduled to start on April 5, 2007 with Wallidan taking part as Gambia’s representatives.