By Landing Ceesay
The Gambia Secondary School Sports Association (GSSSA) is expecting over 200 schools in this year’s athletic competition.
“This year, we are expecting over 200 schools to participate in our championship. In the sense that we have a lot of Basic cycles schools that are coming up for the first time in various regions like URR and CRR. Remember some time ago in August and September, we did a regional conference across the country for the first time in the history of the Secondary School Sports Association.
“All the schools in those regions, their representatives, converge in regional offices and then elected their representatives. So, this newly elected representative, they came into office with full force, with much enthusiasm, and they have actually vowed to ensure that participation of schools in this year’s championship would be increased,” Ismaila Ceesay, President of GSSSA told the Media.
Mr. Ceesay told the media that the organizational level of their championship in the regions would also change and that It is not going to be business as usual, with the newly elected regional representatives ensuring that there is much decorum, there is proper participation, and organization especially, within the regional levels at which they are coordinating.
The expectation this year is at least 200 participating schools and over 5,000 athletes, with each participating school coming up with at least 25 to 30 athletes that would partake in the championship.
“Some schools, of course, we know the strength of some schools. They may not be able to get 25 athletes. But they may come with maybe 20 or 15 or 18 depending on whether the conditions of your athletes will be able to take care of the events that are available to be participated for,” the President stated.
For this year’s regional competitions, Bansang Senior Secondary School would host schools from the Upper River Region (URR) and the Central River Region (CRR). These two zones were hosted by Basse Last year. Bansang will host them from the 3rd of February to the 5th of February 2023.
Farrafenni will play host to the North Bank Region (NBR) and the Lower River Region From the 10th to 11th February 2023, while Botrop Senior Secondary School in Brikama will be the venue for schools in the West Coast Region (WCR) from the 17th to 19th of February 2023,
Abuko gets to play host to the schools from Kanifing Municipality (KM) and the City of Banjul from 24th to 26th February 2023, with the National Championship tentatively schedule to be held at Botrop Senior Secondary, as the Independence Stadium is undergoing renovations.
The President of the GSSSA made these remarks at a press conference on Tuesday 31st January 2023.