The President of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC), Bai Dodou Jallow, has described the recent road accident involving the national under-16 basketball teams as a deeply unfortunate incident and called for urgent reforms in how athlete travel is arranged.

Speaking in the aftermath of the crash, which occurred as the teams travelled to Guinea for the FIBA Africa Zone II Championship, Jallow stressed the importance of prioritising safety and professionalism in all logistical planning for national athletes.

He urged member associations to strengthen their travel protocols and work with qualified experts to ensure safer and more efficient transportation.

“This incident is a tragic reminder of the importance of proper planning when it comes to the safety of our athletes,” Jallow said. “We must not take such matters lightly.”

The GNOC president also reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to supporting its affiliated associations to help prevent similar incidents in the future.

“We will work closely with all member bodies to ensure lessons are learned from this and that stronger safeguards are put in place moving forward,” he added.

The U-16 boys’ and girls’ teams returned to Banjul by private jet on Friday after several players and officials sustained injuries in the accident. All injured individuals are reported to be in stable condition and are receiving ongoing medical care.