01 June 2015
GAMBIA : GBA, SPO Partner to Develop Basketball in Gambia
By Arfang MS Camara
The Gambia Basketball Association (GBA) yesterday held a press conference to formally announce a bilateral cooperation with Seed Project Organisation (SBO) to develop basketball in The Gambia.
The SBO was also launched in Dakar, Senegal by Amadou Galafo, who is currently the managing director of its Africa branch. The project was formed with the simple mission to use the power of sports, specifically basketball, to give not only the youth of Senegal but across Africa, the opportunity to achieve education and to become leaders in their respective countries for the next generation.
Speaking at the briefing at the basketball court of the Independence Stadium in Bakau, Noah Levine, the executive director of SBO said the project has been going on in Senegal for three years with his personal involvement. He said amongst the mission of his organisation is to help the youth not only in the sporting aspect but also in the area of education.
He added that since 2002, his organisation have been able to place more than 100 students in 16 different countries around the world into education. He said currently they have over 30 students studying in the United States of America as part of the organisation's aims to develop basketball throughout the world
Levine also expressed delight to be in the country to collaborate in the development of the sport, adding that this partnership will also give the opportunity to use the sport of basketball to not just develop talented players but most importantly help students in school and transfer all the intangibles that they learn in basketball into their lives.
He promised that his organisation will not just sit back to enjoy the infrastructure that the country currently offers in terms of basketball but also to visits schools, see how they can take the game to the schools throughout the country and to help provide the infrastructure that compliments both basketball and education.
"Myself as a former student of a university in the United States of America, am a great example of our basketball, I wouldn't be able to sit here today if it wasn't for the game itself," he said.
"When I quickly realised that I wasn't going to be a professional basketball player, I told myself that to use the game to gain my education and I now work in the sports of basketball that is really the goal of what we do in this project." He added that he will engage the GBA in the next few days to look into establishing a plan on the development of the game in the country.
Papa Njie president of The Gambia Basketball Association expressed delight to be associated with the project while thanking all the stakeholders working tirelessly for the development of the sport in the country.
Justin Jewett a Peace Corps volunteer expressed happiness with the collaboration, adding that this will help to strengthen the different capacities for the development of basketball in the country. He said this will also help to refresh all relationships and built more partnership for the development of the sport in The Gambia.
Seth Williams, also a Peace Corps volunteer promised that as a former basketball referee, he will join hands with both the GBA and SPO to develop the game in the country.
The Gambia Basketball Association (GBA) yesterday held a press conference to formally announce a bilateral cooperation with Seed Project Organisation (SBO) to develop basketball in The Gambia.
The SBO was also launched in Dakar, Senegal by Amadou Galafo, who is currently the managing director of its Africa branch. The project was formed with the simple mission to use the power of sports, specifically basketball, to give not only the youth of Senegal but across Africa, the opportunity to achieve education and to become leaders in their respective countries for the next generation.
Speaking at the briefing at the basketball court of the Independence Stadium in Bakau, Noah Levine, the executive director of SBO said the project has been going on in Senegal for three years with his personal involvement. He said amongst the mission of his organisation is to help the youth not only in the sporting aspect but also in the area of education.
He added that since 2002, his organisation have been able to place more than 100 students in 16 different countries around the world into education. He said currently they have over 30 students studying in the United States of America as part of the organisation's aims to develop basketball throughout the world
Levine also expressed delight to be in the country to collaborate in the development of the sport, adding that this partnership will also give the opportunity to use the sport of basketball to not just develop talented players but most importantly help students in school and transfer all the intangibles that they learn in basketball into their lives.
He promised that his organisation will not just sit back to enjoy the infrastructure that the country currently offers in terms of basketball but also to visits schools, see how they can take the game to the schools throughout the country and to help provide the infrastructure that compliments both basketball and education.
"Myself as a former student of a university in the United States of America, am a great example of our basketball, I wouldn't be able to sit here today if it wasn't for the game itself," he said.
"When I quickly realised that I wasn't going to be a professional basketball player, I told myself that to use the game to gain my education and I now work in the sports of basketball that is really the goal of what we do in this project." He added that he will engage the GBA in the next few days to look into establishing a plan on the development of the game in the country.
Papa Njie president of The Gambia Basketball Association expressed delight to be associated with the project while thanking all the stakeholders working tirelessly for the development of the sport in the country.
Justin Jewett a Peace Corps volunteer expressed happiness with the collaboration, adding that this will help to strengthen the different capacities for the development of basketball in the country. He said this will also help to refresh all relationships and built more partnership for the development of the sport in The Gambia.
Seth Williams, also a Peace Corps volunteer promised that as a former basketball referee, he will join hands with both the GBA and SPO to develop the game in the country.
# posted by afrbk : 19:47
