The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Baboucarr Camara
27 December 2011
The Serekunda East women football team emerged as champions of the 2011 edition of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC)and Gambia Football Association(GFA)-organised Women & Sports Festival football competition, sponsored by Samsung, following their post-match penalty shoot-out win over Serekunda West, in a final played at the Serekunda East mini-Stadium on Saturday.
In a game watched by the top echelons of both the GNOC and the GFA; Samsung’s Africa representative based in Dakar, Senegal; Muhammed Jah, proprietor of the Q Group and several other dignitaries, the two sides played out a scintillating 1-1 stalemate, characterized by euphoria hardly sensed in women games in the country.
The hosts won 4-3 on penalties and got the gold medal trophy given by the International Olympic Committee through its Gambia representative Beatrice Allen, while silver went to Serekunda West, and Bakau won bronze. Serekunda West opened the scores in the early minutes of the first half through Yamoundow Jeng but the hosts leveled the scores moments later when Isha Saidykhan poked home the equalizer. The game was forced to be settled on the gruesome post-match penalty shoot-out. West Coast Region One forward Penda Sowe was awarded the leading scorer honour, after netting eleven goals.
The festival brought together women teams across all the regions in the country and teams from both the lower and upper basic categories across the Greater Banjul Area and Abuko Lower and Upper Basic Schools won both categories following their defeat of Tallinding Annex and Latrikunda Sabiji Upper Basic School respectively. All the participating teams were given ten footballs, sets of jerseys (comprising 19 kits), football boots and training cons each.
This year’s Festival was orgainsed with the hope of creating awareness on the importance of mainstreaming women and girls in football by exposing their talents and hearing their voices on how football has made an impact on their lives. The festival which began with a day-long forum at the GFA Technical Training Center in Yundum came to an end with the final on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering at the end of the final match, the president of the Gambia Football Association, Seedy Kinteh applauded the GNOC for the initiative and assured them of their unflinching support in their endeavours. He said the tournament would help in identifying new talents for a competitive national team especially now that they have registered the U-17 women team to participate in the upcoming tournaments.
Also speaking, the vice president of the GNOC, Beatrice Allen, who is also an IOC member, said it was a successful event and hailed both the GNOC and the GFA for the partnership, while also thanking the media for playing a crucial role in the successful participation of the festival. According to her the highlight of the festival came from the day-long forum at the Training Center in the opening day.
The chairperson of the GNOC women and sports, Mary Samba-Christenson said the one-week festival helped build her confidence as a woman and she thanked all the parties involved. For his part, the resident of the GNOC, Alhaji Momodou Dibba renewed his call for all the sporting associations to become one and work in the interest of the country. Following a successful end to 2011 with several welcoming end-of-year programmes, he promised even greater things in the 2012 calendar year.
AllAfrica – All the Time