By Nelson Manneh
Fatou Sanneh, a Gambian paralympic athlete has returned home with two medals she won at the just ended World Paralympic Athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia, after winning her first bronze medal.
Hagi Drammeh, an executive member of the Gambia National Paralympic Committee, said Fatou’s performance has been steadily progressing over the past years.
“This first international victory that she won speaks volumes of her resolve and tenacity to fight to the very end, a trait that deserves commendation in light of the numerous setbacks she suffered in past competitions,” he said.
Mr Drammeh said another Gambian athlete in the person of Malang Tamba, also went with the team but suffered a major setback after he picked up an injury and could not win a medal in a category he was highly rated to win.
“The Gambia is on track to qualify in all the international Paralympic sporting activities. It is now the responsibility of the authorities and the public to ensure that Paralympic sport is given the due attention it deserves. The performance of the team in Tunisia is worthy of a national celebration and if Paralympic athletes in The Gambia are given more support in terms of proper training facilities and other logistics, they have the potential to raise the flag of the country,” he noted.
The just ended World Para Athletics held in Tunisia is the first in a series of competitions meant to pave way for athletes to qualify for the Paris Games that is set to take place later this year.
The World Paralympic Athletics Grand Prix is a huge sporting platform for people with disabilities. This year the event took place in Tunisia, where about three hundred and fifty-eight athletes from forty-two countries across the world, participated.
The Paralympic games are for the differently abled people, and were formally introduced after World War II, to assist the large number of injured war veterans and civilians during wartime. The sport is meant for an inclusive world and the Paralympic Movement oversees the delivery of the Paralympic Games and to support members to enable such athletes achieve sporting excellence.
