20/07/2025
By Bakary Y. Badjie Minister Youth & Sports
Every Sport association in the country manages its participation at international competitions and makes their own travel arrangements, not the Ministry.
In the wake of several criticisms directed to me, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and government following the bus accident of the U16 Basketball team in Guinea, let me state clearly that Sport associations are not institutions of the Ministry and therefore not directly managed by the National Sports Council (NSC), nor the Ministry. They are private associations answerable to their members and stakeholders. The Ministry's responsibility is to supervise their work in accordance with domestic law and in compliance with international regulations and practices that dictates the relationship between government and association. In doing so, we observe certain protocols and limit ourselves to roles at macro levels. The sports sector is such that governments everywhere allow associations to self-govern while the state focuses on policy, regulations, infrastructure, and in the case of Africa and Asia (due to absence of enough corporate financing) funding where needed and available. This is how it works in The Gambia too, except for the fact that our regulatory part is weak and needs adjustment - reason we have developed a National Sport Bill that has now been finalized by AG Chambers and ready for submission to the National Assembly for tabling in its next session.
So let it be clear to all that every association in the country manages its participation at international competitions and makes their own travel arrangements - we do not dictate the means of travel, nor is there any layer of approval for travel route or mode. Most times, we at the Ministry get to know about an association’s impending travel when they write to the National Sports Council (NSC) requesting for funding for a particular event. Where we provide funding- be it full or partially - it is paid to the associations to cater for their travels, accommodation and necessary allowances by themselves and report back to the NSC upon their return. Many instances, these requests come to us very late (including this very one), yet we endeavor, under difficult circumstances, to provide funding.
Therefore, when mishaps happen, unfortunate as they might be, blaming the Ministry and government is utterly unfair or a show of lack of knowledge of the roles and relationship between the Ministry and associations.
Additionally, the story being touted around about the Gambia Basketball Association (GBA) submitting a D2 million budget with the intention to use a flight and we replied that the government does not have money is false. The budget submitted to us from the NSC is D1.2 million dalasis. Upon review, the Ministry provided one (1) million dalasis to the GBA. This essentially covered the entire cost as per their plan.
We all must remember that air travel between our neighboring countries is extremely difficult due to lack of flights, many long transits and extremely expensive costs. This is the reason why many people and associations, including those of sport opt for road travels, and did it successfully – be it Gambian associations or those of neighboring countries.
Finally, we at the Ministry and government have taken this incident as a lesson and will take immediate actions to prepare enforceable regulations that will mandate sport associations to among requirements submit annual plans to the NSC to ensure they prepare well as well as seek approval before registering teams into regional competitions, and the travel plans they put in place. This will henceforth help the NSC to determine whether to approve or deny financial support and barred foreign travels.
