Football can challenge tourism in Gambia’s GDP’ Thursday, August 14, 2014 A former minister of Finance and Economic Affairs has expressed optimism that Gambia’s football industry has the potential to challenge the contribution of tourism to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Dominic Mendy, who made these remarks at a recent national football dialogue to develop a strategic plan for the next five years, however cautioned that this could only be achieved only if the industry is packaged properly. It goes without saying that tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of the country at the rate of about 16 % per annum, and for football to catch up on this, and given the huge economic potential of football to attract investments through merchadising, the acquisition of television rights and the direct sale of football gear, all makes it a potential source to contribute to the GDP of the country. Mendy has been contracted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports as the lead consultant for the project and he is expected to meet all the relevant stakeholders of the sport before the document is finally validated. The conclusions are expected to be implemented not later than the 2016 domestic football league season. While admitting that he is a novice in the area of football, the consultant expressed his love for the sport, and optimism that the game will be played at the highest level in The Gambia. He therefore urged for a collaborative partnership from all the stakeholders in order to come up with a clear strategy. “Football can challenge tourism in its contribution to the GDP and employment in this country, [but] only if it is packaged properly,” he said. If this is done, he further pointed out, the sport can become one of those industries that will lead into higher consumption in other industries and create employment of significance. He reiterated that the true foot of foreign exchange in football that passes through Gambia could contribute significantly in stabilising the dalasis. Mendy went on to describe football as the most popular sport in the world and that almost everybody is involved in watching and taking pleasure in it. Because of the mass involvement in the game, he observed football has made itself a great economic potential. “So because football is so huge, it is so supported and to support football, you don’t need much money, [from each individual] and if everybody contributes little, it becomes huge money,” he observed. He further argued that since football has a huge economic potential, no nation could avoid it. He cited the English and the Spanish premier leagues as the most famous in the world and that they generate more money than the rest of the leagues across the world. However, despite this, he observed, the England national team could not present the best team in the Brazil 2014 World Cup. “The best players look forward to playing in England, and you know what England has decided to do. They knew that football has become so strong in the world that they cannot be what they used to be during the olden days. But they know that they have the infrastructure, physical and systemic [opportunity] to make sure that the true foot of money in international football can be transited through England,” Mendy explained. He maintained that once that happens, England was able to have a piece of the cake, therefore making football becoming an industry contributing significantly to her Gross Domestic Product, thus, employment, building a very strong middle class and supporting the balance of payment in England. Rhetorically, Mendy remarked: “That is the potency there in football. We don’t want middle class? We don’t want the money? We don’t want to enjoy the glory of football not only to win but to harness that which it brings to us and make us better and richer people; more contented people and other ramifications?” “I am a facilitator and I don’t want to deliver a lecture because I cannot deliver a lecture in football. But one thing I want to tell you is that I am more than honoured to be invited to lead the process of consultation that will culminate in a national football strategy,” he stated. The former Finance minister made his role unequivocal indicating that he was to only lead and facilitate a consultation between the football fraternity and the government. He vowed that a proper consultative process would take place in which the platform will exist for opinions to be raised without fear and put into implementable strategies. After all that, he said, The Gambia would cease to see football as something frivolous. In doing so, the consultant went on, all he wanted was the cooperation of everyone. Author: Bekai Njie
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 16:09:56 +0000
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