Draughts Association Meets Sports Council to Introduce World Cup Finalist

Members of the Gambia National Draughts Association headed by its President Momodou Lamin Dibba on Tuesday August 4th 2009 paid a courtesy call on the National Sports Council, the body charged with overseeing the affairs of sports in the country, to introduce Gambian champion Sheikh Njie.

It could be recalled that Sheikh Njie was on Wednesday 22nd July 2009 confirmed as the Gambia’s only representative in the forth-coming draughts world cup to be staged by Brazil in September after finishing sixth out of twelve draughts participants drawn from twelve different countries that took part in the African Draughts confederation and the Draughts world cup qualifiers, at the Paradise Suites Hotel.

Mr Njie’s remarkable performances in his first ever international Draughts Championship earned him a place in the Draughts world cup in Brazil in September.

The President of the association, Mr Dibba, who remained confident of Sheikh Njie’s possibility of claiming the Draughts world cup, revealed Sheikh’s achievement in the Draughts championship does not come as a surprise to him and the entire members of the Gambia National Draughts Association noting that Sheikh Njie is one big name in the association who always has self confidence which he described as one of the key successes in life.

The ten-day Draughts championship also confirmed the participation of two other Gambian Draughts players in the persons of Sulayman Norman and Abdou Ceesay who both did well despite their failed attempt to join their Gambian compatriot in the Draughts world cup.

One of the main important issues discussed during the one hour meeting at the Independence Stadium’s conference hall included the way forward for the newly formed Draughts association including plans to help Sheikh Njie participate in the world’s most prestigious Draughts championship in Brazil.

The interim chairperson of the National Sports Council Mustapha Alex Dacosta, the Vice Chairman the National Sports Council Sheikh Tijan Faye, the assistant Director of Sports Pa Suwareh Faye, The Manager of the Independence Stadium Musa Njie and the Executive Secretary the National Sports Council Alieu Y. Cham, all seized the opportunity to congratulate Sheikh Njie for what they referred to as his remarkable and outstanding performance during the African Draughts Confederation and the Draughts world cup qualifiers, and expressed their  willingness to work hand in glove to raise the standard of Draughts in the country at all times.

Mr Dibba went ahead to thank the National Sports Council for their tireless efforts throughout the Draughts championship.

The meeting also availed Mr Dibba the opportunity to inform the N.S.C about the unpaid arrears amounting to 27 thousand Dalasi belonging to Paradise Suites hotel which the association cannot afford to pay.

And in response, Mr Dacosta promised to meet the minister of youth and sports, Hon Sheriff Gomez, in order to see how best the arrears could be settled.

The Gambia National Draughts Association is planning to host the 2013 Draughts world cup if the plan goes as expected the President of the association told the gathering.