The Gambia has hosted its first-ever National Athletes’ Forum, a landmark initiative aimed at placing athletes at the centre of sports governance in the country.

The two-day event, held at Paradise Suites Hotel on Wednesday, was officially opened by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Bakary Y. Badjie, and brought together representatives from all 29 National Sports Associations and Federations affiliated with the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC).

In his keynote address, Minister Badjie praised the GNOC for convening the forum and stressed that athletes are key stakeholders whose welfare, voices, and experiences should shape sports policy, planning, and governance.

“The National Sports Policy provides a framework to strengthen governance, improve infrastructure, promote grassroots and school sports, support elite performance, and safeguard athlete welfare,” he said.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sports development under the leadership of President Adama Barrow, while
acknowledging ongoing challenges, including athlete welfare, education, career transitions, and life after competition.

He called for open and constructive dialogue during the forum, urging participants to uphold unity, discipline, and integrity within sporting institutions to ensure sustainable progress.

Organised by the Athletes’ Commission of the GNOC, the forum aims to provide training, facilitate discussions on key athlete-related issues, encourage networking and idea-sharing, and generate feedback to inform future policies and programmes of the GNOC, the government, and its partners.

By Adama Makasuba