Africa’s finest female athlete of the moment, Gina Bass, jointly held the Gambia’s flag with Ebrima Camara at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Japan, Tokyo, this Friday. The Gambia’s March position was 48 just after Cameroon.
Meanwhile, 206 countries gathered today at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo to officially open the 2020 Olympic Games.
This year’s event lasted three hours, although the number of athletes attending the Tokyo Olympic Stadium has been stripped back due to Covid-19 fears.
The Gambia’s athletes in the Tokyo Games
Faye Njie is set to make his second Olympic Games appearance in a row for The Gambia this month at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
He qualified to Tokyo by continental quota spot as one of the 13 best male athletes from Africa who gained the continental quota for Tokyo.
27 years old Gambian-Finnish judoka was born in Helsinki, Finland, on 23 November 1993 to a Finnish mother and a Gambian father, and has represented both countries
Njie was the first-ever Olympic judoka for The Gambia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in the men’s 73 kg, where Didar Khamza eliminated him in the first round.
Ebrima Sorreh Buaro is Gambia’s top swimmer and has set his sight on securing the best timing of his career to date when he competes at this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games in Gambian colors.
The 20-year old national record holder in a 100-meter freestyle race in both 25m and 50-meter pools noted that every athlete’s dream is to participate in the Olympics. He will therefore make most of his opportunity to put smiles on Gambians’ faces.
Ebrima, specializing in freestyle and butterfly sprints, was the winner of the first organized National Swimming Championship and is looking forward to making a difference in his career. As of now, he was the best sprinter in the country.
Ebrima Camara is Gambian’s 100 meters Athlete who will be making his debut appearance at the Olympics for the country.
Camara qualified for the World Championships in Doha, where he stopped in the preliminary round with 10.38 seconds.
In 2019 he finished seventh over 100 meters at the African Games in Rabat in 10.33 seconds. He finished fourth in the relay in 39.44 seconds, while he was eliminated in the semifinals over 200 meters with 20.82 seconds.
In the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Camara sprinted 100 meters with 10.50 seconds. Unfortunately, he missed the 200-meter final rounds after an encouraging 21.58 seconds that was not enough to qualify him.
Gina Bass is a household name in The Gambia and Africa, who has represented the country far and wide in the world of sports. She was the first Gambian ever to qualify for the final at the World Athletics Championships. She currently holds national records in the 100 and 200 meters.
At the 2016 African Championships, Gina won the bronze medal and qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics, during which she was the Gambian flag bearer.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she placed 52 seconds in the 200 meters heats and did not qualify for the semifinals.
This year, Gina Bass hopes for a medal has grown real t the 2020 Summer Olympics in the women’s 100 meter and 200-meter events.
The schedules of the Summer Games
Opening ceremony – Friday 23 July – Tokyo Stadium
Archery – 23-31 July – Yumenoshima Park Archery Field
Artistic gymnastics – 24 July – 3 August – Arlake Gymnastics Centre
Artistic swimming – 2-7 August – Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Athletics – 30 July to 8 August – Tokyo Stadium (track and field), Sapporo Odori Park (marathons and race walks)
Badminton – 24 July – 2 August – Musashino Forest Sport Plaza
Baseball/softball – 21 July – 7 August – Fukushima and Yokohama
Basketball – 25 July – 8 August – Aomi Urban Sports Park and Saitama Super Arena
Beach volleyball – 24 July – 7 August – Shiokaze Park
Boxing – 24 July – 8 August – Kokugikan Arena
Canoe slalom – 25-30 July – Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre
Canoe sprint – 2-7 August – Sea Forest Waterway
Cycling – BMX 29 July to 1 August, Arlake Urban Sports Park – road cycling, 24, 25 and 28 July, Musashinonomori Park and Fuji International Speedway – track cycling, 2-8 August, Izu Velodrome, Shizuoka
Diving – 25 July – 7 August – Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Equestrian – 24 July – 7 August – Equestrian Park (dressage, eventing, and jumping), Sea Forest Cross-Country Course (eventing)
Fencing – 24 July – 1 August – Makuhari Messe Hall
Football – 21 July – 7 August – Tokyo Stadium, Sapporo Dome, Miyagi Stadium, Ibaraki Kashima Stadium, Saitama Stadium, and International Stadium Yokohama
Golf – men’s 29 July – 1 August, women’s 4-7 August – Kasumigaseki Country Club
Handball – 24 July – 8 August – Yoyogi National Stadium
Hockey – 24 July – 6 August – Oi Hockey Stadium
Judo – 24-31 July – Nippon Budokan
Karate – 5-7 August – Nippon Budokan
Marathon swimming – 4-5 August – Odaiba Marine Park
Modern pentathlon – 5-7 August – Musashino Forest Sport Plaza (fencing) and Tokyo Stadium
Rhythmic gymnastics – 6-8 August – Arlake Gymnastics Centre
Rowing – 23-30 July – Sea Forest Waterway
Rugby Sevens – 26-31 July – Tokyo Stadium
Sailing – 25 July – 4 August – Enoshima Yacht Harbour
Shooting – 24 July – 2 August – Asaka Shooting Range
Skateboarding – street 24-25 July, park 4-5 August – Arlake Urban Sports Park
Sport climbing – 3-6 August – Aomi Urban Sports Park
Surfing – 25 July – 1 August – Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach, Chiba
Swimming – 24 July – 1 August – Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Table tennis – 24 July – 6 August – Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
Taekwondo – 24-27 July – Makuhari Messe Hall
Tennis – 24 July – 1 August – Arlake Tennis Park
Trampoline gymnastics – 0-31 July – Arlake Gymnastics Centre
Triathlon – individual 26-27 July, mixed relay 31 July – Odaiba Marine Park
Volleyball – 24 July – 8 August – Arlake Arena
Water polo – 24 July – 8 August – Tatsumi Water Polo Centre
Weightlifting – 24 July – 4 August – Tokyo International Forum
Wrestling – 1-7 August – Makuhari Messe Hall
Closing ceremony – 8 August – Tokyo Olympic Stadium