Weight lifters hold maiden congress

Members of The Gambia Weight Lifters and Body Building Association on Sunday, February 3, elected their first-ever Executive Committee in a maiden congress held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

The new Executive Committee which has Musa Conteh as the president will coordinate the affairs of the association for the next four years.

President Conteh will be assisted by Lamin Sanneh - the elected vice-president. Karoline Siga Sarr was elected as the secretary-general while Lamin Keita was named as his assistant in a peaceful congress that was attended by scores of dignitaries including the Taiwanese Ambassador to The Gambia, Dr Patrick Chang, the newly elected Mayor of KMC, Yankuba Colley and Honourable Tina Faal, nominated member of the National Assembly, who deputised for her boss, Speaker Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay.

Other members of the nine-member Executive Committee are Sheriff Janko, Sarata Badgie, Ebrima Cham, Isatou Cham and Fatou Touray as treasurer, assistant treasurer, programme officer, public relations officer and female representative respectively.

In his words of wisdom to the new Executive, Lamin Sanneh, Development Officer at the National Sports Council, called on the committee to repay the trust and confidence bestowed on them.  He advised the baby Executive to identify the lapses of the association in a bid to solve them within the shortest possible time.

‘’ Now that you have begun the long journey towards the promotion and development of your game in the country, you must develop your constitution, draft your annual plan of action as well as decentralise,” he urged.

Sanneh also emphasised the need for the committee to stage innovative competitions in a bid to standardise the game in the country.

For his part, Musa Conteh, the president elect said 54 gyms have been discovered in the country out of which 24 are legally registered with the association.

He expressed optimism that the association will make a headway in promoting gym in the country.