First Ever Women’s Football Symposium held by GFF, GNOC

The Gambia Football Federation hosted 300 participants in a very remarkable day in the history of women’s football in partnership with the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC), joining hands to organise the first ever Women’s Football Symposium at the Paradise Suites Hotel. The President of the GFF thanked the GNOC and National Sports Council (NSC) for having the interest to answer to the call of women’s football to give their support and he further highlighted the achievements and the support given to women’s football through his executive in the past few years. ‘Our commitment to the course of Women’s football is contained in our campaign promise and has been manifested in our Four Year Strategic Development Plan’. President Bajo also thanked the GNOC where he serves as 2nd Vice-President for securing the services of the German women’s football expert, Monika Staab, to help facilitate the development of Women’s football. He said The Gambia can pride herself as one of the few countries across the world for successfully completing the Four Year legacy program of the FIFA Live your Goals Girls festival.

‘As far as Women’s football is concerned, our slogan is DEM BEH JEKH’.

IOC Member and National Olympic Committee 1st VP Madam Beatrice Allen heap praises on the football leadership for what she described ‘ your serious commitment to the development of Women’s football’. She said the NOC’s collaboration with the GFF is based on the federation’s dedication to football development and the seriousness ‘ placed on managing football in the Gambia’.

Deputizing for the Hon Minister of Youth and Sports, Marcel Mendy of the National Sports Council thanked the GNOC and the German Embassy for the depositions earmarked for the Gambia in the areas of mutual cooperation especially in Women’s football development.

Senior Official at the German Counsel in The Gambia Mrs Anita Martins said Football is a powerful means to enable women realize their potentials in any means. She also thanked the GFF for taking care of the women’s football expert from her country and seeing women’s football has achieved great strides and that more is yet to come with the involvement of the German Foreign Affairs office.

The Symposium included speeches and presentations by the following speakers:-
Monika Staab spoke about women’s football in the global context
Sainey Sissohore reflected on women’s football development in The Gambia in the past years
Dr Caro talked about women’s football in Germany
Sainabou Cham introduced the Education and Grassroots program
Ajara Samba detailed the Role of an Ambassador