Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The United Arab Emirates and The Gambia are moving to deepen cooperation in sports development, following high-level talks held last week between Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports and Vice President and Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Olympic Committee, and Bai Dodou Jallow, President of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC).
The meeting focused on expanding bilateral partnerships and strengthening communication between sports institutions in both countries.
Discussions covered a range of areas, including the possibility of hosting joint training camps, developing coaching and technical staff across different sporting disciplines, and exchanging expertise to support athlete preparation and sports administration.
Dr. Al Falasi outlined key programs and initiatives led by the UAE National Olympic Committee under the guidance of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE NOC.
These initiatives aim to build athlete capacity, enhance coaching standards, improve referee training, and promote women’s participation in sports leadership roles, in collaboration with the National Olympic Academy.
He reaffirmed the UAE NOC’s commitment to broadening international cooperation, noting that sharing successful experiences and adopting innovative strategies remain central to advancing the Olympic and sporting movement in the UAE.
Jallow commended the UAE for its notable achievements in sports development and expressed the GNOC’s interest in drawing from the UAE’s model to further develop athlete training and capacity-building programs in The Gambia.
He said such cooperation would help strengthen bilateral ties and support the growth of sports in both countries.
The meeting was attended by several senior UAE sports officials, including Abdullah Al Darmaki, President of the UAE Volleyball Association; Osama Gargash, Vice President of the Association; Bassem Al Naqbi, Vice President for External Representation; and Abdulaziz Suleiman, Director of the Office of the Secretary-General of the UAE NOC.
