Hon. Bakary Y. Badjie, the Minister of Youth and Sports, has reaffirmed the Government of The Gambia’s commitment to supporting every sporting discipline and recognising the invaluable contributions of the country’s sports veterans.

The Minister made the remarks on Saturday while delivering a statement at the “A Day with Gambian Sports Legends” event organised by the Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia (SJAG) at Paradise Suites Hotel.

Quoting former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Hon. Badjie said, “A nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure,” as he commended SJAG for organising what he described as a historic event to celebrate the country’s sporting pioneers.

“As Gambia, we should strive not to forget. We should endeavor to remember loudly, and to proudly honor everyone that has done something good for the country,” he said.

The Minister emphasised that the event was not only about celebrating the past but also about shaping the future of Gambian sport.

“We are all here today under the theme ‘Honouring the Pioneers & Inspiring the Future ’, not simply to look back, but to draw the roadmap for the future of our sports,” he stated.

Hon. Badjie assured the gathering that the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Government remain committed to supporting every sporting discipline across the country.

“The Ministry of Youth and Sports and by extension, the Government of The Gambia under the leadership of H.E. President Adama Barrow, is fully committed to supporting every sporting discipline in this country – not just the popular ones, not just the well-funded ones, but all kinds of sports,” he said.

The Minister revealed that the proposed National Sports Development Fund will include a dedicated component to support deserving sports veterans, with implementation details to be developed by the National Sports Authority once the fund comes into force.

“As part of the new proposed National Sports Development Fund, we will include a dedicated component for support to a certain category of deserving veterans.”

Addressing young athletes, Hon. Badjie urged them to honour and learn from the country’s sporting pioneers.

“These men and women did not have even half of what you have today… Yet they gave us memories we still talk about decades later. Just imagine what you can do with the platforms being built for you now,” he said.

By Ebrima KB Sonko