(Photo: MoYS)
By Landing Ceesay
The 5th International Conference of the African Sport Management Association (ASMA) commenced in the Gambia today.
The hosting of the three-day conference in the Gambia is in line with the development plan of the Ministry of Youth and Sport (MoYS) and the National Sports Council (NSC).
The theme of this year’s conference is “investing in grassroots sports, the surest way of achieving excellence in sport”.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Marcel Mendy, Executive Director of the National Sports Council of the Gambia said they feel the privilege of hosting the 5th International Conference in the country and thanked the delegates from different countries gracing the occasion.
“It is difficult to navigate these past years for athletes who are working hard to achieve excellence in sport. I am personally convinced; it is as a result of your affection and encouragement that we see our athletes in high spirits even after some very hectic training sessions.
“The biennial ASMA Conference which started some years ago has proven to be a catalyst for the development of sports in the African region. Your achievement in the field of sports are excellent and your contribution to raising the Bar for future generations is quite enormous and noteworthy,” Mr. Mendy said.
The Vice President, Professor Oluwaseun Omotayo who deputised the ASMA President at the event said the theme of the conference that centres on grassroots sports development is topical and worthy of interrogation as it is an important aspect of sustainable sports development.
“Grassroots sports development is a special purpose vehicle for youth sports development. I enjoined African countries to make sports development from the grassroots a strategy for sustainable sports development. ASMA is ready to partner with African countries through the AU sports Councils in the quest of developing sports from the grassroots,” he said.
The 5th International Conference of the African Sport Management Association (ASMA) which commenced in The Gambia today, would end on Friday (25th February, 2022).