Wrestling promoters, others call on VP

Some members of a wrestling promoting organisation called Fatou Promotion, last Monday called on the vice president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, at her office in Banjul.

The delegation was accompanied to State House by Mambanyick Njie, permanent secretary, department of state for Youths and Sports. Speaking to Journalists after their audience with VP Njie-Saidy, Fatou Camara, head of Fatou Promotion, said their visit to the State House was aimed at informing the vice president about their activities. She disclosed that they were set to organise a big wrestling contest in the country, slated for this April 12, at the Independence Stadium in Bakau. According to her, the move is geared towards helping the children and also to contribute their quota to the national development effort of the country, in a way of promoting wrestling campaign in The Gambia.

In the words of  Fatou Camara, this move of theirs, which geared towards initiating wrestling promotion, is in line with their intention to revive the sports in the country. She said that there are plans in place already to expand wrestling competitions, as it is in neighbouring countries. Also in the plans of the organisation, according to its head, is to sign a wrestling contract with Senegalese wrestlers. Currently, the organisation is working with a Gambian wrestler based in Spain, who is currently in the country to take part in their promotional activities.

Fatou told reporters that she had initiated this with the intention of encouraging young people to venture into self-engaged businesses rather than having to take the risk of adventurous journeys. Her organisation, she concluded, is looking forward to making wrestling a great thing in The Gambia, "as it is in Senegal."

APGWA executives
Also at the State House on Monday were executive members of the Association for Promoting Girl’s and Women’s Advancement (APGWA) in The Gambia. At the head of that delegation was Binta Jammeh-Sidibeh, executive director of Sobeya. Sobeya is a skills training institution.

Binta Told reporters after her audience with the vice president that her visit to State House was to update her on their activities surrounding the commemoration of the International Women’s Day, observed worldwide. According to her, the visit also accorded them the opportunity to convey their appreciation to the Gambian leader through the vice president, for the president’s unflinching support to women.

In a third engagement at the vice president’s office, the Bombiriibombada Kaafo in Brikama presented D20, 000 to the maternal ward of the Brikama Health Center through the vice president, for onward transmission. And it was received by Sahou Janneh, deputy permanent secretary at the department of state for Health and Social Welfare.