By Olimatou Coker
From 7–9 August, Festibad Gambia brought badminton directly into the heart of communities across the country through practical imparting of skills and knowledge about the sport to avast number of people.
Together with children, youth leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders, Festibad created new opportunities for more people to discover, enjoy, and embrace badminton, a meaningful step towards growing the sport and inspiring the next generation.
A total of 15 Physical Education teachers across The Gambia, took part in the programme which ended Sunday.
The event was staged in partnership with the Gambia Badminton Association, the Badminton World Federation, Shuttle Time, Badminton Confederation of Africa, The Fajara Club Gambia and Fajara Shuttles.
The event also features an MoU signing between the Fajara Club and the Gambia Badminton Association.
Bai Dodou Jallow, president of the Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) commended the association for the growing momentum of badminton in The Gambia, mentioning capacity-building programmes for PE teachers and students, and participating in international competitions.
Jallow assured the Gambia Badminton Association and Badminton Africa of the GNOC’s continued support, saying the planned signing of an MoU would further strengthen cooperation and provide a more structured approach to developing badminton in the country.
Adama Samba, chairman of Fajara Club, thanked the Gambia Badminton Association for partnering with Fajara Club to make the day possible. He also expressed his appreciation to the shuttlers of Fajara Club and the wider badminton community in The Gambia.
Sarah Camara of the National Sports Council described the conclusion of Festival 2026 as the beginning of a new journey for badminton development in The Gambia.
Camara said the programme’s success would be measured by how its knowledge and skills are taken into schools and communities.
The president of the Gambia Badminton Association, Abdoulie Ceesay, welcomed the continued support from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Africa in developing badminton in The Gambia.
He also highlighted the strong partnership with Fajara Club, where the national team trains every Sunday free of charge.
“The MoU between the Gambia Badminton Association and Fajara Club will help improve training, strengthen the national team and create more opportunities for competitions”, he said.
Bai Madi Ceesay, First Vice President of Badminton Gambia, said badminton instills discipline, brings out agility, resilience and helps players to be physically fit, adding that the sports has great potentials in The Gambia.