Gambia's best female sprinter, Fatou Tiyana, is reported to have absconded in Berlin, Germany, after a poor showing at the just concluded 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships in the European country.

Dodou Capi Joof, secretary general of the Gambia Athletics Association, confirmed that the 22-year-old track and field sprinter refused to return home after the completion of the events. Tiyana and fellow 100-meter male athlete, Suwaibou Conateh, represented The Gambia at the Berlin championships under the tutelage of Coach Bamba Njie.

Suwaibou and Coach Faye have since returned home after the end of the games, but Tiyana was nowhere to be seen - much to the disappointment of The Gambia athletics body. "I never expected that she would do such a thing to us," Capi Joof who did not hide his frustration at the move of the 22-year-old whose potential was discovered eight years ago through school sports. "This was an athlete we valued so much. She was our best female athlete and has always improved her performance in every championships she attended," Capi Joof admitted Tiyana's departure will leave a big vacuum at the female team. "We have other female athletes, but Tiyana was the best of recent time and losing her is a big blow to the athletics body," he said.

Tiyana failed in the preliminary heat, but improved her personal best time record with a 12.25 seconds finish at the Berlin championships. While describing her Berlin performance as a big success, Tiyana admitted she would like to leave for places that have better facilities than her home town. "There is only one single coach for all run disciplines, no matter whether short or long events," Tiyana was quoted as saying in the Dutch media.

Her terse statement was synonymous to that of Jaysuma Saidy-Ndure who also turned back on Gambia years back citing poor conditions and lack of enough well-arranged training terms. However, adamant Capi Joof was quick to refute these claims, insisting that Tiyana has no reason to abandon the Gambia. "This is an athlete that has been given all she deserved. We gave her all the exposure she needed and her allowances were being paid accordingly." "We were also on the verge of securing her a scholarship. So what more does she want?" Cappy asked in bewilderment.