Mahaad Vs Khadamun At Boxba
By Buba Gagigo
The Yonna Group-sponsored Amaanah Football Tournament officially launched last Thursday at the Boxba Mini Stadium in Brikama, signaling the start of a highly anticipated event.
The opening match featured an intense clash between Mahaad and Khadamun, with Mahaad emerging victorious with a 2-1 win. Yonna’s sponsorship of the tournament underscores its ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility, aiming to foster local sports development and community engagement.
The event was graced by notable figures, including Louis Moses Mendy, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education; Lamin Sisawo, Deputy Managing Director of Yonna Islamic Microfinance; and representatives from Amaanah. The tournament, hailed as the first of its kind in The Gambia, is expected to draw significant attention and participation from Arabic schools across the region.
In his remarks, Louis Moses Mendy expressed his appreciation to Yonna Group for their generous support of the event. He emphasized the unifying power of Islam and the importance of such initiatives in bringing people together.
“The religion, in particular, Islam, is a very uniting religion, that’s why they call it the Islamic Ummah. The Ummah there stands for solidarity. The Ummah there stands for unity, and that is what is being demonstrated this afternoon here. So I want to commend everybody that does play a role in this. But more importantly, our sponsors, Yonna, Yonna, you are great. Yonna, we are happy for you. Yonna we are proud of you. You could have decided to use your funds for some other things, but you said, no part of those funds you want to bring to unite people, and more importantly, the youths. These are the people who drive this country. These are the people who lead us tomorrow. These are the people who will shape our destiny as a country and bring them together so that unity is built. Love is enshrining them is a great thing, and we want to commend you, Yonna, for the initiatives,” said Louis Moses Mendy, PS at MoBSE.According to Yonna Group, the tournament will feature 79 Arabic schools from the Kanifing Municipality and West Coast Region, with a total of 79 matches scheduled throughout the event. Lamin Sisawo, Deputy Managing Director of Yonna Islamic Microfinance, shared the company’s motivation for sponsoring the tournament.
“What really influence our efforts, or all what we are doing as far as this tournament is concerned, it is something that is geared to unify the people of this country, most especially the young people Yonna as a group is concerned about and is doing everything in our abilities, and every day to ensure that we contribute to the social, economic development, of the people of this country. And we believe this cannot be done without actually investing in sports,” said Lamin Sisawo, Deputy Managing Director of Yonna Islamic Microfinance.
The opening match delivered thrilling action as Mahaad secured a 2-1 victory over Khadamun, setting a high bar for the rest of the tournament.
The Amaanah Football Tournament is set to inspire young talents while fostering a sense of unity and community across the participating schools.