Africa-Press – Gambia. The Track and Field Performance Center TNFPC may sound as an obscure name, but what it lacks in exposure, it made for in substance. Established in 2018, the center is home to numerous budding athletes being coached and molded into future sprinters and long distance runners.
During a chance encounter with the TNFPC athletes at the Brufut Strasser Football Field, the coach of the center, Ousman Sowe introduced his charges and work:
“Basically what we have here is a crop of young athletes, male and female of school-going age with most of them attending junior and secondary schools being trained for careers in track and field. But we also have some who are already very well-known athletes. Haddy Jarju here is the champion in the 100 and 200 meters sprint in the inter- school championship in the last two editions competing for ScanAid. Others like Baboucar John and Foday Njie both competed in the last inter -schools championship with very strong performances. They are doing very well and we are gradually making our mark in national events and hopefully we will get there.”
Sowe, a personal trainer and longtime track and field coach once coached Zone 5 in the West Coast regional primary schools championship in addition to winning the Jabang national cluster athletics championship with Youna School. Asked how he managed to train girls and boys together, Sowe said it is a question of knowing the balance. “Gender parity in athletics is not possible because the power and strength of men and women are not the same. But you have to note the level of performances, strengths and weaknesses of your athletes and train them according to their capacities. That makes the job easier,” he said.
The TNFPC coach is of the view that with the right attitude, basic drills and techniques, his charges will excel to career achievements at both national and international levels.
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