The Gambia has pulled out of the 7th Commonwealth Youth Games due in Trinidad Tobago after its delegates including athletes face visa debacle with Air France in the Senegalese capital Dakar. 

The Gambia National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association have apologised to the athletes and their parents for the cancellation of their travel to Trinidad. 

The associations said this was the best decision taken because competitions had already started and there was no point continuing on their journey

“The GNOC/CGA commenced a visa application process to the United Kingdom for Athletics, Beach Volleyball, and Para-athletics on 20th June 2023, based on instructions received from the CGF Organising committee. 

“During the application process, it was confirmed that the visas will be completed within 5 to 15 days. 

“After 10 days of tracking, the GNOC/CGA contacted the President of CGF of Africa to inform her about the delay in receiving the passports and that was when the passports were released. But by the time the passports arrived the scheduled flight was missed.

“The GNOC/CGA tried rebooking from London but were advised that there was only one weekly flight to Trinidad. That was when we resorted to going via Air France from Dakar to Panama and Trinidad. 

“With Air France, the delegation could travel without a transit visa but with an attestation. The CGF Organising committee provided that attestation and Air France gave clearance that they would be allowed to travel. A new booking was made two days after the passports were received and they left for Dakar to take their flight from Dakar with Air France to travel via Panama. At the check-in, air France requested for another attestation for Panama,” GNOC said in a statement.

“On departure date (Saturday 5th August), the delegation returned to the airport and were denied boarding the flight by Air France because Panama should have written to them directly, refusing to read the communication that was sent and treated the delegation in a very degrading and humiliating manner. At this point, the GNOC decided that the delegation returned home.

“It is regrettable that Gambian athletes go through a lot of problems when they have to travel for sports competitions due to visa application processes, and these Commonwealth Games have presented a clear example of the dilemma athletes face,” the statement added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba