The Gambia Scorpions Fans Club Sunday evening celebrated its 11th year of existence at the Friendship Hostel in Bakau. The theme for this year's celebration, which was attended by club members, representative from GFA, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and well-wishers was “Excellence in sports”. The Scorpions Fans Club was formed in 2001 and officially launched in 2003.

Speaking at the celebration, Bai Cham, president of the Gambia Scorpions Fans Club, said they chose the theme because it is among the top agendas of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to achieve excellence in sports through mass participation. He urged all stakeholders to come on board to help actualise this dream.

He informed the gathering that there are plans to decentralise the Scorpions Fans Club at the regions, particularly to have school chapters.

Cham explained that the club not only support the country’s national football teams, but also participate in national events as well as support the president at his farms in Kanilai. He concluded by thanking the former minister of Youth and Sports, Sheriff Gomez; and Seedy Kinteh, former GFA president, for their unflinching support to the Scorpions Fans Club.

On his part, Marcel Mendy, acting secretary general of GFA, on behalf of the GFA Normalisation Committee said the theme for the celebration was quite very apt, in the sense there is no way that people can continue to talk about football without concentrating on excellence and it achievements.

He said it is about time that the people asa nation start talking about the way forward in achieving excellence in sports, stressing that it should not only be the business of the GFA Normalisation Committee, Department of Youth and Sports, National Sports Council, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He implored on members of the Scorpions Fans Club to keep up the good work, as the GFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports under the dynamic and action-oriented Alieu K. Jammeh is aware of their good work. He finally urged them to keep the unity that exists among themselves, noting that there cannot be any progress in the absence of unity.

Deputising for the minister of Youth and Sports, Alieu K. Jammeh, Pa Suwareh Faye, acting director of Youth and Sports, said the Fans Club has achieved a lot in the past 11 years under the spirit of unity and oneness. He pointed out that the club was not just formed to come together to drum, sing, and dance, as many people think, but to contribute to the cause of sports development.

He informed the gathering that the Ministry of Youth and Sports is very proud of the Scorpions Fans Club, and will henceforth strengthen the partnership that exists between them to make it a well recognised and real fans club. He finally commended the executive members and members for their hard work, adding that the club is one of the most disciplined clubs one can ever have at CAF and FIFA.

At the end of the ceremony, certificates of merit and appreciation were awarded to members and institutions who have in one way or the other contributed to the development of the club.