>From: Oko Drammeh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list              <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Basketball in The Gambia/Daily observer Gambia need a New Coach >Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 17:45:54 +0200 > >Basketball in The Gambia- The Rough Guide > > >Oko Drammeh > >HISTORY OF THE GAME IN THE GAMBIA >Basketball in The Gambia was almost as huge as soccer in the 70's >and >80's..The game was officially made Famous by The Kent street Vous in >the >late 60's.The boys of Kent street vous boys were the Americans of >The >Gambia at that time (in the 70's&80's). Most of them later migrated >to >America and were instrumental in bringing Kwame Toure(Stokley >Carmicheal >and Miriam Makeba) to the Gambia and some of these Gambian >Revolutionaries together with Kwame Toure and others started the ALD >progression in the United states.They had strdents in The Gambia >from >colleges in Roxbury, Haarlem,Chicago and from Oakland  Some of The >Kent >street boys were also students or teachers,some at the Yundum >College.The passion of The game was brought to the Gambians by Saja >Taal. He drew the courts ,kept the balls and the nets,he was a >referee >and coach for referees.He was the leading scorer and captain of the >first National team (70's) that went to Dakar.There were other >non-Gambian players of the game and these other players were priests >like Father Coma, Father Fagan and Father little etc,These Church >Fathers (priests) were not aviable for the trip to Dakar with the >Gambian team and the team was filled- in by the tall field force >police >officers for rebounding but they could not dribble (always it double >dribble).So they were asked only to pass the ball and run to the >other >basket to wait for a rebound and pass it on to Saja. He was the Kobe >byrant of The Gambia.He was never dressed ,always in basketball >clothes >and sports shoes with no socks, ready to play day or night. When he >left >all Gambia for Milwakee we all thought that he would make it to the >NBA. >He is a Legend. > >SAINT AUGUSTINE'S HIGH -The intro >St. Augustines was a school highly known for sports but also in >fueling >competitionon. They made up a team of students and teachers. It was >a >young team but very promising team, they brought in Felix Gomez, >Felix >Ceesay ,Mike Baldeh, Patrick Njie, and young Donald Sock and many >other >boys. Donald sock was an artist with the ball.He was like Iverson He >is >steady with the ball and neverv miss a lay up but had knee trouble >very >early in his career but he was permanent in The Gambia national >team.that yearly visited Senegal and participated in all regional >tournaments. The Kent street vous did not have a court so they would >use >St.Augustines. Right across the school there lived a great would-be >player who later captianed the National to great height and that was >no >other than The great Ousman Sabally ( Sabs).Ousman was Bill Russell. >Ousman Sabally came from Crab Island and a youth at Kent street >vous. >Saja Taal, Ousman Sabally and Sol Jarra ran the Crab Island school >camp. >Abdou Aziz Ceesay started the basketball programme there before >handing >over to Cherno Touray. > >CRAB ISLAND-The game >At crab Island ( none- students of the High schools were not allowed >in >high school lawns , so they had to go to play ball at Crab >Island).They >were groaming the street boys and girls and primary school leavers >who >were later to become the stylist of the game and the proud players >of >the game who will cry and fainth just for the gamwe. They were >spirited >players. One of such players was EBRIMA JOBE "Mbat" He has been >forgotten.He was the greatest player that ever lived in The Gambia. >He >was the genie,the acrobate, the brave attacker ,the scorer, the >crowd >puller (people pay in numbers in Dakar in huge stadiums to see Mbat >at >work), he was the Micheal Jordan of Africa at that time.He was >counted >as one one the best in an all -African selection. The only one ever >! >The Senegalese players by then who played in France said so.They >were >Pierre Sagnia, Addidas, and Ebrima Jallow "Gozeh" They, the >Senegalese >team was Africa's best and they were neck to neck with the Gambian >team..They beat us and we beat them.It was a mutual rivalary >business. >Every attack Mbat made was a basket.He had power and agility and >twisted >eyes and he could fake a Riock. He was unstoppable. He played for >Crab >Island and later Foyer with Gran Badou Mbenga with Abou Camara and >myeslf. The brain products of Mbat were Mam Essa Gaye,(lived at >James >Senegal but went to the GHS, Modou Njie (New Street) Abou Allen >(yundum >College), Buhari Njkie , Baaba Sillah (late Manneh Sillah's >brother), >Momodou Samba"Americene" and Sengan Ndow. Crab Island is the Crown >that >produced all the stars and jewels in the Gambia field of sports They >are >brave people. Thery had Shiek Fye ( one of Africa's best >highjumpers), >Biri (one of Africa's best footballers) and Ebrima Jobe Mbat, ( one >of >the greatest basketball players in the continint). > >AMITAGE SCHOOL-The Competitions >Many Crab Island school boys later passed their Exam and had to go >to a >hih school but there were few places in the schools in Banjul and >many >had to go to Amitage. Suddenly they had a good team with Bye Jobe, >Abdoulie Mass Jobe (Lai jobe) etc.Bye Jobe going to Amitage for few >years made all the differencee.They also had Mr. Hassan Joof (a >fanatical spot teacher) and Alpha Khan They were in the school >leauge >competition.They had many interesting boys there from Banjul. I was >always keen to go and play refere there. After the game we would >drink >palm wine at the Mansu- wankas before coming to the SIKO NIGHT (I >still >remembers the songs) at the back of the assembly hall.They would >have >this launcheon meat  for breafast for the refrees.and cookies and a >lot >of fun; but If they loose, your launch hang on the balance. Amitage >school had few top sporting stars that can cause alot of trouble >from >big star studded teams from Banjul.Thebjourney to Amitage was like >the >journey to Mecca. It was long and the gravel road was brown >colouring. >You have to sit in the back mof an open lorry with the eyes and head >covered for the long drve in the dusty road for hours. As soon as >you >arrive,they would want you to play.Amitage had a strong support at >home >and had very very good sporting boys and girls. They had the >sprinter >Boun Njie, the great Passy Coker,Abdoulie Touray (Baks / Basketball) >  a >great football team with Gibou Sang and Petit Mbye Cham.and the >all-time >high school player and the youngest basketball player in the >national >team Bye Jobe. Bye Jobe, Felix Gomez ,Badou Mbenga and Kebba Ceesay >(Adonis) were later the administration of The Basketball association >partly sponsored by Felix Gomez and Badou Mbenga of Foyer. > >G.H.S-The Players >The Gambia High School had a team but was late to come to >prominance. >Sonny Joiner who played at St.Augustines went to 6th for at GHS (no >6th >form at St.Augustines then) and brought the gave to the GHS.Sonny >was >Wilt Chamblane. He Blocked Addidas (the greatest center in Africa). >Sonny was at one time the captain of The Gambia. He was responsible >for >reenforcement at Real but the daily briefing were with Felix Gomez. >Sonny is a styar. He was the real Abdul Karim. He had unbelievable >hook >shots and unimaginative shot blocking. He blocked Addids. Later The >GHS >had Melems a fifth form team that were friends and schoolmates. They >were C.I wadda, Mr.Joof (arts council) Fayee Joiner,Mustapha Leigh, >Pa >Boob ( Late Oussou's Boob's brothr),Lamin Jeng,.I joined Melems >after >finishing school and was deejaying at Sahara. I brought in The >American >Ambassador Austin Brown ,the Uniforms, balls ,Knee guards and wrists >band and we joined the league.We had Modou Wadda as coach and >commard >Sol Sillah as manager. Outside Melems and out of all was Jim Wadda >(brothe of C.I wadda/ former volleyball player ) and the big LATI >LEWA >JOHNSON "The great Solomon Johnson"Arch Bishop of The Gambia". He >was my >closest pal. We were partners in daily life.We both later played of >Foyer. He was Shaq O'neal.He was the boom !!! I see him in service >on TV >whenever I am in The Gambia on Sundays and it gives me great >memories of >a player who never look in the eyes of other players , only the Rim >and >the ball and power..He was the dunkbuster. The slam Jam and the >Grand >slam. The first one to ripped the board. > >THE COMBINATION-Team Spirit >The greatest all star team ever to be produced was with team of   >Ebrima >Jobe"Mbat" , Sonny Joiner, Felix Gomez, Mam Essa Gaye, Ousman >Sabally. >This was the first- five that can play anyone, even the lakers. It >was >like the Senegaleses or the Cameroun teams in the soccer world cup. >How >can we get back to this professional NBA approach to the game???  By >this time Gambia should have had as many as a dozen players in the >USA- >NBA. Maybe each of them could have been making 100 million a year. >That's good for our economy. It is still not late.Before countries >like >Nigeria ( Olajuwan) and even Congo( Motombo) all these guys Gambians >were inviting teams from America from the college league and the >NBA. >There were players also who were much younger and had the magic of >stardom and were the likes , Look Bangura, Shiek Jobe and brother >Bye.There was Mustapha Njie,Taf construction, Badou Sernghore, Bye >Maleh >Wadda, Modou Sallah (English) Assan Jeng and Late Oussou Boob.A much >younger (third generation) of players came to follow .Apart from >Real >and Foyer,  Mam John Tamba of Buckle street was infact the one who >took >the balls and the nets from Mbat. Mam John was caught in between >soccer >and basketball but in the end he lost his place in Starlight soccer >team >to contuinue the basketball tradition in The gambia. There were >younger >players like the Late Njole Bass Mbye , Ousman Jobe, Malamin (Bopi), >Falang (young Melems), Aconi, Arthur Maxwell, John Richards ( Young >Foyer) and Shrieff Jobe, > >Female Basketball.:-Heads High >The players like Caroline Bouvert and Nanna Bouvert  were the rock >bottoms. The same kent street Vous and  St. Augustines/St.Josephs >combination.The school produced many girl players like Gifty Tamba, >Elie >Eunson,Etta Baldeh,Beredith Campana and Magret Baldeh etc but other >avenues also produced talents like Fatou Ceesay, Micheal Mendy, The >great Binta Nyang and Bassin Ceesay, Kumba Ndour >(Foyer),Yamede(Claudia-Mrs Sowe), Olive Johnson-Mrs.George), Mai >Corr, >Katty Wadda ,Yassin Sallah and Gambia's star guard Abigail Joiner. >Each >weekend you would go and see a basketball game at night and daytime. >It >was an on going programme with coaches like Dave Atkins(an >American), >Gary and many more from Senegal in the sport partnership programme. >It >was on. All girl training programme was conducted by Cherno Touray. >The >Female team was a huge success and pride of The Gambia. The won Gold >and >silver Medal at Semin'e National games held annually in Dakar. They >defeated Cape Verte on many finals and that was the bed rock of the >Senegalese national team. > >NBA stars visit Gambia-International Exchange >The Gilford College from the USA with M.L Carr (All Star), Hampton >Institute, Moorehouse College and many colleges and universities in >America visited the Gambia. Many would-be NBA players came to The >Gambia >( lost names) with the help of The Peace corp office, The American >cultural office and The African American Ambassador in The Gambia >then >Mr.Austin Brown. He coached and he provided balls (multi-coloured >ball) >nets and regular films every thursday at the American Embessy >office. We >were introduced tto text books, and gave plans. We studied Bill >Sharman, >Jeerry West (The art of Jump shorts) the Oscar Robertson Guard >thricks >and so on.All the players at that time had a book and practice >throught >the book for professional and tactical game plan. This was called >the >set up. > > >The Gambia League GNBA-The Organisation >Felix Gomez (from school) later founded Real De Banjul basketball >team.after St. Augustine's and joined by a line of St.Augustine's >leavers, Foyer had all the Senegalese and Lebanese Gambian. Real de >Banjul players from Gambia high and St'Augustines. Cherbel Elhaj >used to >come for vacation to Banjul from St. Miceal school in Dakar,played >for >Real.Real became a Lebanese team because Kamal Milky sponsored the >soccer team when they foermed with a sponsor,the Cherbeltook over >and >now it is Willo and St. Mary's food and wine. He hanged with us >everday >and later played for The National team We had a league with many >teams: >Real de Banjul , Foyer, Melems,The Peace coprs, Police Depot, Ghetto >Boys (Crab Island). Many of the refrees in The basket league were >Volleyball players. We shared one court and we had to support each. >We >refered for them and they  for us. So we had Seydu Sowe (Ala ma) , >Habibou Sillah Nyankumo, Samba Faal and Demba Faal, Sol Mboob, Bye >Mass >Taal, Sam Lewis etc. Later the court was splitted in two one for >volley >ball and one otherside to Basketball. > >New Coach Needed Now.-The Next Level >We have to get a coach if we can afford one from the United States >and >not from England, again ! England or Ghana and Nigeria. Now it is >basketball.We may not need the coach now but to select some boys and >girls and send them to school in America  for free of charge to >their >families and coach them professional(12 boys and 12 girls) for 5 >years >.While back at home in the Gambia we have to recondition the lawns >(courts) and start the school league programme again and the Club >League. It is intresting to involve foreign companies in to start >new >teams and create ongoing competition with each team having a local >coach >from former players. A national coach is then next on the menue. It >is >too poor and disorganise to bring a coach in these condition from >far >and foreign. They need a basketball masterplan with a business >approach >and more playing courts in schools and villages. For Banjul we need >a >sports plaza thar brings in events, machandise and business. > >To be Contuined, > >Oko B Drammeh >P/S; Unedited version. > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the >Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~