The President of the Gambia Cycling Association, Abdoulie Baks Touray has protested the suspension imposed on him and the Gambia Cycling Association by the general assembly of the Gambia National Olympic Committee AGM at the weekend.

It would be recalled that the Daily Observer reported on its Monday edition that Touray and the Gambia Cycling Association were suspended by the delegates present at the 2012 Gambia National Olympic Committee Annual General Assembly held at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi on Saturday.

Speaking to this reporter, the vice president of the Commonwealth Games Federation branded the suspension as unconstitutional and illegitimate, saying that the mandate to suspend does not rest with the general body but rather the executive body of the GNOC.  “The power to suspend or terminate membership rests with the executive not with the general body and you can only do that [to suspend or terminate] upon a hearing given to the individual,” he further said.

Touray stressed that he is not interested in positions but principles, and that he also upholds the Olympic values of fair play, friendship and respect. He said he won’t allow himself to be marginalised by any individual or organisation. He also declared that he doesn’t recognise the current executive as he thinks they were unduly elected adding that he will only adhere to the GNOC if the Ministry of Youth and Sports Sport Tribunal confirms that they are duly elected.

“If the tribunal report comes in and says the GNOC [board] is duly elected I will be the first to shake their hands and so with the external body, if they say that the GNOC is legal I will shake their hands and move on. I don’t carry excessive luggages,” Baks concluded.