By: Alieu Ceesay
As the term of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) ‘s current leadership comes to an end, potential candidates are emerging to compete for the presidency in the elections scheduled for early 2025. One of the candidates is Muhammad Jagana, who heads Team YokaNdam. He has presented an ambitious manifesto that emphasizes good governance, inclusivity, and the development of beach volleyball, among other priorities.
At a press conference on Saturday, Mr. Jagana presented his vision to transform the GNOC. He aims to revitalize and unify the national Olympic body and achieve international sporting excellence through strong governance, innovative programs, and inclusive policies.
“Our key priorities are strong governance [and] better sports. We believe that without governance in any sport, it won’t succeed. We want to implement a comprehensive policy program on ethical leadership for GNOC and our national associations and federations,” the aspiring president stated.
Team YakaNdam emphasized the need to increase women’s participation in sports at both national and international levels.
“We want [to] ensure that equal access to resources and facilities for women athletes are also a priority. We want to develop and implement a signature beach sports event each year [and] promote The Gambia as a primary destination for beach tourism,” Jagana explained.
He also highlighted plans to collaborate with stakeholders to create a platform connecting diaspora athletes with local teams for training opportunities.
Decentralizing sports nationwide and ensuring sound financial management are additional pillars of his campaign. “Investing in sports is investing in [the] future,” he said, stressing that sports can drive economic growth and foster community unity.
Team Yoka Ndam boasts support from key figures in Gambian sports, including leaders from table tennis, basketball, lawn tennis, and karate. These leaders including, Lamin King Colley, Saul Frazer, Fatim Badjie, Mass Manjang, ML Sompo Ceesay, Timonthy Colley, and Gheran Senghore are rallying behind Jagana’s bid for the presidency as nominated executive members of team Yoka Ndam.
