Seedy Kinteh, president of the Gambia Football Association, will this morning preside over the closing ceremony of a week-long Level One training course for twenty one Gambian female football coaches, at the GFA Centre for Excellence in Yundum.

The course, which kicked-off on Saturday, is Jointly organised by the Gambia Football Association and the world football’s governing body (FIFA), in their  collective bid to develop female football in the country.

During the course of the training, participants were exposed to pertinent areas in football coaching, inlcuding women football and development programme, role of the coach, session planning and preparation for season, structure of football, speed and strength training amongst others.

Declaring the session open on Saturday, the secretary of state for Youth and Sports, Mass Axi Gye, said the quest to develop women football in the country has long since been undertaken by the national football governing body. He implored the trainees to stand up to the challenges, and be ready to take back to their clubs the knowledge gained during the training.

The GFA first vice-president, Major-General Langtombong Tamba, revealed that today over 30 million females are involved in active football worldwide. He said this development is attributed to the strong commitment the world football’s governing body attaches to the promotion and development of women football. He said where as the continual growth of female participation in the sport is very encouraging, “we most nevertheless continue to proactively promote the evolution of the women’s game in a positive manner.” 

One of the most important, but perhaps less well-known objectives, he said, is to help develop and initiate a comprehensive women’s football program that will provide training for female coaches, referees and administrators.

According to Tamba, the Gambia Football Association in partnership with other stakeholders will use the power of football to promote a world of social equality, where every woman has an opportunity to enjoy playing football.

The course director, Monika Staab Fitas, said women football is gradually improving, noting that the game is for all sexes.  She urged women, more specially girls, to venture into football, adding that FIFA allocates part of its subvention to the national associations for the promotion and empowerment of women in football simply because the game is for both sexes.”