Participants are rounding up their preparations ahead of the start of the 2012 edition of The Gambia Open Golf Competition at the Fajara Golf Course. Players from within the sub-regionhave already arrived for the competition that will begin today.

This year’s edition, which will again have President Jammeh as its chief guest of honour is being sponsored by The Gambia National Olympic Committee. Speaking to this reporter, Ebrima Jawara, the president of the Gambia Golf Association (GGA) revealed that 60 players are expected to take part in the championship.

“There was an organising committee set up [for the tournament] that included the Fajara Golf Club, National Sports Council, GNOC and the GAA and after our last meeting on Tuesday, basically we are on top of things, but you can’t rest because there is something that might crop up. Now we are trying to sort out accommodation for the Senegalese so I think everything is running smoothly right now,” Jawara told Observer Sports.

The GGA president explained that the professionals will play their first round on Thursday while the second and final round will be played on Friday. “I am also wishing everybody good luck and we accept fair play. Let them just enjoy themselves,” he added.

Fakebba Drammeh, the man widely known as the Gambian Tiger Woods remains optimistic that he will defend the title he won two years ago. He said: “As you can see, we are just getting back from Senegal where we played a tournament and everybody is looking pretty much tired but hopefully by tomorrow we will get on with our normal practice sessions and get ready for the tournament. I won it last year and also in 2010 so hopefully I can defend the title.”

Drammeh also urged Gambians to come out and support the game of golf as it deserves support like any other sport.