Six Gambian Olympic athletes have received a cheque of 1.5 million dalasis as qualification bonus.

The athletes are Ebrahima Camara, Sanu Jallow, Aminata Nia Barrow, Ousman Jobe, Faye Njie & Alasan Ann.

Sprint queen Gina Mariam Bass-Bittaye was not included in the list of recipients. 

“Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow, today, presented a cheque amounting to D1.5 million dalasis to Gambians athletes who qualified to the Olympic Games in Paris. The qualification bonus is a scheme introduced by the Ministry of Youth & Sports to compensate athletes who qualify to major international competitions,” the Gambia sports ministry said.

However, Mustapha Bittaye, trainer and husband of Mariama Gina Bass-Bittaye said the nation’s track queen was excluded by the Gambia National Olympics Committee because “she was given that D1 million a couple of months ago.”

“Gina Mariam was given D1million after becoming the only athlete to win two gold medals at the All African games. She used 80 percent on her preparation for the Olympics and now she is rewarded nothing after pushing two different events to the semi-finals of the world’s biggest events of athletics. Sports personnel are rewarded based on their performance and results,” he said.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba