The Gambia Handball Association (GHA), in association with the Gambia National Olympic Committee and the IHF ran an ‘IHF Young Referees’ programme in Bakau last week.

Taking place at the Friendship Hotel, the course saw participants train and capacity-build over five days (4-8 April 2017) with the aim of providing the young whistlers with the knowledge to develop both on and off court.

IHF referee lecturer Henry Achifon ran the course for the male and female participants with the theme of ''striving to promote young referees in handball to become professionals in the nearer future'' running throughout the various aspects of the course itself including the new IHF Rules of the Game, theory and practical aspects.

"The future of Gambia handball is on the right foot" said Achifon after the closing ceremony to the group before signalling out the female couple for special praise. "Be ambassadors for women in your country, call out to your gender to be involved with sport."

Speaking to the local media, participant Alieu Mboob, is a teacher and handball referee by profession in addition to his roles as the Gambia Handball Referees - Secretary General.

“The joy and words cannot express themselves" he said. "Compared to last year, this year's edition came at a time when the national handball league is very young and so we believe after the participants have gone through this course it will definitely help us to do our work smoothly.

“On my own behalf and behalf of my participants we can’t thank the GHA enough for the capacity building training and many thanks to our instructor Henry Achifon who definitely did justice with his lectures.”

The end of the programme saw a closing ceremony at the hotel with participants awarded certificates.

The IHF has funded the partnership programme with the GHA and over the next 18 months the GHA aims to train referees with the view to becoming handball instructors and eventually international-standard officials.

It is the second time Cameroonian IHF Lecturer Achifon, who is also a CAR and PRC lecturer at the Confederation of African Handball Federation (CAHB), has run the course in The Gambia following a successful first edition in June 2016 for 14 young referees over 10 days.

On occasion of that course last year Haruna Cham, Secretary General of The Gambia Handball Association stated his thanks for the “International Handball Federation for bringing such benefit to our footsteps when we are in need of it most”.