By Momodou Jarju
Trust Bank Gambia last Friday donated two and a half million dalasis to the senior Scorpions through the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) to help in their preparations for the imminent 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast. The continent’s flagship football competition will kick off on January 13, 2024.
The managing director of Trust Bank, Njilan Senghore, said her-lad bank is proud to be associated with the Scorpions and they are thankful for the opportunity.
“This donation day is a total of 2.5 million dalasis and it comes with the love and support of the entire Trust Bank family,” she said during a ceremony held at the bank’s Head Office, Banjul.
Ms Senghore didn’t set limitations on the team. Despite the tough group the Scorpions are pitted against, she believes the “boys are going to sacrifice everything for Gambia.” What’s left, she said, is for the nation to rally behind them to validate their efforts.
“We need to support them financially; we need to support them emotionally and we need to be there in our numbers,” she said, adding that two of their staffers will travel to Ivory Coast to support the team.
“We are also providing GRTS with support so that for the rest of us who cannot grace the occasion, we can sit in the comfort of our homes and enjoy our national television.”
Musa Mbaye, the deputy permanent secretary at the sports ministry, applauded Trust Bank for the gesture and thus challenged all corporate entities in the country to emulate the donor. He also used the opportunity to clamour corporate bodies to support the domestic league.
“I want to challenge all of you, particularly Trust Bank, to do like what we see happen in England where we have Barclays Bank sponsoring the premier league. We will want to see Trust Bank…sponsor the league in this country,” he said.
Juldeh Ceesay, the deputy permanent secretary at the finance ministry, said the government cannot succeed without having others complementing their efforts. She said the government supported the national team in its maiden appearance at Afcon and they would do it again this time around.
However, Ceesay who is also the NCC finance chairperson said the government needs collaborators to ensure the Scorpions’ successful involvement in the forthcoming tournament.
Veteran Gambian journalist and co-founder of The Point newspaper, Pap Saine, hailed the donor for supporting the national team’s Afcon participation, saying “without financial resources you cannot produce results”.
Musa Sise, NCC chairperson of media and publicity, also appealed to business owners in the country to emulate Trust Bank.
“The NCC we are killing the idea of exclusively coming onboard with the national team because we know that you cannot operate outside the macro. We want every business to come forward and know that sports the world over flourishes with sponsorships and partnerships, and that’s what Trust Bank has been doing,” he said.
Sise said Trust Bank will get image rights of the national team, a signed shirt by the players, and a signed certificate showing their participation, support and partnership with the national team.
This is the package for Trust Bank in return is going to be and the visibility,” he said.
