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Momodou
Denmark
11794 Posts |
 Posted - 12 May 2007 : 18:41:20
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When will the U-20 Leave for Training Camp?
About D5 Million Needed
By Modou Nyang
The much awaited overseas training camp of the U-20 team is in limbo with the lack of funding being the bane for the implementation of the plan by those vested with the responsibility to guide the affairs of the country’s football.
The U-20 National team has been billed to leave for a training camp of Europe and the US towards their buildup for the FIFA U-20 World Cup just over a month away, but as matters presently hold the picture looks bleak. According to officials at the Department of State for Sports, the various fundraising activities presently undergoing and the contribution of philanthropists are the expected sources of income to fund the team’s much needed program.
But as matters currently stand the major fundraising drives being relied upon seems not to be bearing the desired fruits. The much publicized 105 SMS text message and phone call vote your darling player initiative of the GFA marketing committee, is fast reneging from its early momentum when top vote recipient Ousman Jallow, garnered a total of over 7000 votes. The initiative will accrue to the FA D1 dalasi from every SMS or phone call to vote for a player, but in its last draw on Monday Jallow collected a little over 500 votes. However contributions from professional groups’, artisans and institutions are leading the way in the contribution drive. But an outing costing in the region of five million dalasis may only be salvaged through government’s intervention or better still from other means.
The proposed training camp in the UK will cost over three million dalasis. These include accommodation, feeding, transportation, cost of training ground usage and materials together with other costs. And when the team moves to the US for the last part of their preparations before they finally move to Canada, another two million dalasis will be needed to foot the bill for the team’s preparations.
Since booking a place in the world’s second most prestigious football tournament following a fine display of football artistry in the African Youth Championship in Congo early this year. The boys’ preparation for their epic appearance in the glamorous tournament is noting yet but gloom.
The team was beneficiary to a fitness tournament in Suwon, South Korea in March which served as a testing ground but a three matches losing streak finishing last albeit with some important absentees in the four country tournament, was followed by another 2-1 defeat in the hands of the Ivory Coast U-23 here in Banjul late last month. With the increasing decline in confidence in the team’s performance by the public, the funding of the coach Bonu Johnson led technical team proposed training camp has become the order of the day.
The Gambian U-20 national team is pitted in group C of the FIFA U-20 World Cup between top Central American contenders Mexico and European giants Portugal together with New Zealand in one of the toughest groups of the biannual tournament. The team also suffered a similar setback in its preparations for the African U-20 Champions in Congo earlier this year when its participation in the tournament was hanging on the balance. The Gambia Football Association had to finally utilised the good relations they had with the South African Football Association SAFA, lodge at its school of excellence facilities and arrange some test games before moving to Congo. Despite the difficulties the boys put up a wonderful showing finishing third after missing out for the final to a lucky Nigerian side in the semi final.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 54/2007, 11 - 13 May, 2007
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