A new football academy dubbed "Gambia Rush Soccer Club" will be launched in Bakau Cape Point on Thursday, February 27.

The new academy, which will have Steve Biko's Kemo Ceesay as its chief executive officer, will serve as a replica of the US-based Rush Soccer Club in the country with the ultimate aim of changing the stereo typical concept of soccer academies in the country. According to Mr Ceesay, who doubles as the treasurer of the Gambia Football Association, the Gambia branch of Rush Soccer Club will be a powerful tool for driving young Gambians to achieve their goals through education and sports; starting with football.

He said the president of the US Rush Soccer Club will arrive in Banjul on Friday, February 26, to witness the launching ceremony of the Gambia Rush Soccer Club, which will also serve as a perfect opportunity for the academy to introduce and outline its vision and objectives. As a replica of the US-based academy, Ceesay said, the players and officials of the Gambia Rush Soccer Academy will benefit from numerous projects including training packages and exchange programmes. "As a partner of the US-based Rush Soccer Club, the Gambia Rush Soccer Club will in the near future engage in exchange youth programmes with our US partners who usually organise annual youth events," Ceesay told Observer Sports.

He added: "The coaching staff of the Gambia branch will also benefit from training packages from the US Rush Soccer Club and our young talents with good academic background could also be awarded free scholarships to attend colleges in the US."

Mr Ceesay said the link between the two parties came thanks to the assistance of one Omar Ceesay, a Gambian football coach residing in US and Steve Biko's head coach Abdoulie Bojang, who both played pivotal roles in establishing the link between the two sides. After Thursday's launching ceremony, Ceesay said, the academy will make courtesy calls to the Permanent Secretary of ministry Youth and Sports, Mr Mambajicky Njie, and the president of the Gambia Football Association, Mr Seedy Kinteh, to formally introduce themselves in the Gambia sports circle.