By : Omar Jatta
The Gambia Football Federation has announced the arrival of two high profile officials from the World Football Governing Body, FIFA, last Wednesday, 6th April at the Federation’s Secretariat in Kanifing.
FIFA’s West Africa Development Officer, Ivorian Sampon Kablan, accompanied by the organisation’s facilities manager, Daniel Krebs made the three day visit to The Gambia as the guest of the Gambia Football Federation. The Visit was triggered by The Gambia’s bid to benefit from FIFA’s Win-win programme, as the Federation continues on it’s plans to rebuild and improve the development sectors of the country’s stuttering football through better training and improved infrastructures.
The two visiting FIFA officials were due to hold Performance meeting with the GFF Executive and to discuss with the Senior Management Staff on their projects. They were to be accompanied Federatioin’s President Mr Lamin Kabba Bajo for a visit to the National Technical Training Center in Yundum which recently went under refurbishment through funding provided by FIFA. They would also had the opportunity to see other programs during the three day trip, including a visit to the West Coast Regional Football Association Secretariat in Brikama which is now fully operational.
The FIFA Win-Win programme was established in 2011 as an innovative approach to football development, directly supporting the needs of specific member associations that have potential for football and income growth but lack the resources to realise that potential. FIFA offers financial help and expertise through the Win-Win Programme as a first step to establish a virtuous circle that gives member associations the chance to build a sustainable and independent foundation for future growth
Through funding and knowledge, the Programme supports member associations to generate more income for the development of the game. The main objective of Win-Win is to provide specific member associations with funding for long-term, sustainable projects in areas such as football stakeholder engagement, commercial exploitation and cost-optimization of facilities, and licensing and merchandising of football assets that can generate revenue or savings, on the condition that those gains are reinvested in football development activities.
The Win-Win budget for the financial cycle 2015 -2018 is USD 12 million with an average investment of USD 300,000 per project and as it stands 28 countries have already benefited from the programme, including Ivory Coast, Namibia Algeria Rwanda And Burkina Faso.
