The president of the Gambia Basketball Association GBA), Papa Njie, has said they will bring basketball back to its feet in the country.

This was revealed to reporters at the 2013 opening league competitions held last weekend at the Manneh Sillah basketball lawn in Banjul.

Papa told reporters that it was difficult at the beginning but they were able to put their efforts together at the executive level to bring the league into existence.

He said: "We had to work on the infrastructure, trained coaches and referees, which we have achieved at the end.

"We want the game to be played countrywide but we have to go back to the roots. We need to go back to the schools from where we will be able to select the U-16 and 17 teams; there we can build up to have a national team," Njie said.

In decentralizing the discipline, the GBA president urges the media to help popularise basketball countrywide.

"I think we are heading to the right direction and we have to ensure that it's back to its feet," he said, whilst thanking the GNOC for the vital role they played in developing the game and thanked as well the Peace Corps members who are also helping in developing the game.

"We have Peace Corps who are playing the role of time keepers, match commissioners, referees and a coach and there is a bright future for basketball."

He therefore called on all members of basketball to work as a team to develop the game in the country.