KULUKOCHI ANTI MALARIA MARATHON RECORDS HISTORIC PARTICIPATION
The 4th edition of Gunjur Kulukochi Anti-Malaria Marathon has recorded a historic participation as seventy-seven athletes participated in a race organised at Gunjur by the Kulukochi Youths Development Association on Sunday, 29th April. The figure is the highest since the inception of the event four years ago.
The race which is organised to raise awareness about the deadly malaria disease was witness by many prominent people in and around Gunjur amongst them Jenny Ringstead manager of Gunjur Project Lodge, memers of Brufut marathon association, Badara Bajo, members of Gambia Athletic Association, members of Gunjur Development Association.
Athletes from across the country and Holland competed in three different categories (5 kilometres, 10 kilometres and 21 kilometres) resoectively. The three most outstanding athletes at 10 kilometres and 21 kilometres category were awarded valuable prizes.
Sohna Saho finished first in the 10K female category, she received a trophy, medal, certificate and a cash price of D3,000. Mamjara Drammeh who came second, went home with D2,500, a medal and certificate. Third place Mary Da Sylva pocketed D2, 000, certificate and a medal. The top three in the 10K male category were Sampierre Gomez, Lamin Joof, and Momodou Bojang, who finished first, second and third respectively. They were also awarded equally the same way as the 10K female.
In the 21 kilometres categiry where only males took part, Andrew Jassey came out first and won D5,000, a trophy, medal and a certificate, while second placed Mustapha Jatta received D4,000, a medal and certificate. Momodou Sanneh who emerged third was handed D3,000 cash price, a medal and a certificate.
The top three winners in the 5K boys were Sulayman Touray, Ebrima Saidy and Sulayman Sanneh respectively. The 5K Girls saw Isatou Jarra coming home first, Binta Touray second and Sirreh Tamba third and other participants were only given a certificate of participation and a medal.
During the closing ceremony, several people including Badara Bajo Executive Director of GEPADG, Ousman Sanneh member of Brufut Marathon Association, Alhasan Sanyang chairman Gunjur Athletic Academy all spoke on the importance of organising such events and youths development associations. The speakers commended the Kulukochi Youths Development Association for coming up with such initiative.
Speaking to reporters, Lamin Jassey the interim chairman of the association thanked all the participants, spectators and donors like Gunjur Project Lodge and Gunjur Development Association. Jassey said his association has achieved their aims of campaigning against Malaria “when you talk about Anti-Malaria Marathon everybody will know that the aim is to fight against Malaria. We have organised lot of workshops to sensitise and educate people on the preventive measures.
The association also has a nursery school where we also sensitise and teach children on the dangers and preventions of malaria.” The interim chairman called on the National Sports Council to support different sports in the country as he stated “in Gambia most people concentrated on soccer more than any other sport, so I could see not every can do soccer, people have different talents in different areas. The Ministry of Youth and Sports should strategise how to bring everyone together so that all the people could show their talents which could be in the betterment of the Gambia.”
