GBA to Identify Young Basket Talents for Future

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Bekai Njie

20 June 2011

The Gambia Basketball Association in collaboration with its partners such as the US Embassy, Trust bank Ltd and Gamtel/Gamcel and others are currently undertaking a three-week intensive training for National basketball coaches at the Independence Stadium Basketball court in Bakau.

The training is designed among other things, to identify the country’s young and talented basketball players with a view to training and sophisticating their skills for the country’s future basketball competitions.

Speaking to Observer Sports at the Basketball court in at the exercise that saw over one hundred children participated, Tommy Davis, the US France-based basketball coach, who also served as the instructor for the training explained that he is in the country to help both local coaches and young basket players to build and develop their skills in the field of basketball. He revealed that he had been playing basket for over fourteen years before adding he has an overwhelming experience of ten years as a coach at the highest level.

Davies expressed optimism that with the level of willingness demonstrated by both the coaches and the kids during the past week, the Gambia will no doubt have some great basketball players in the future; something he added, could positively impact the nation’s quest for top-flight basketball competitions. He finally opined that the follow-up would be very imperative after this course.

Pamela Ann White, the US ambassador in Banjul was impressed by the turnout of young players especially girls, whom she described their participation as relevant. According to her, this kind of initiatives would no doubt help the nation’s basketball association in identifying the best of the talents. She finally assured her embassy’s support to the association.

AllAfrica – All the Time