Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Between Atlantic beaches, bush villages, and the bustling neighborhoods of Banjul or Serrekunda, The Gambia lives to the rhythm of sports. Here, playing, running, wrestling, or paddling isn’t just a pastime—it’s a common language, a tool for informal education, and, increasingly, a driver of development. For a visitor who wants to move and share in the daily life of locals, the country offers a surprisingly wide range of activities to try, from beach football to surfing, traditional wrestling, neighborhood basketball, and running.
Good to know:
This article presents the most practiced sports in The Gambia, detailing available facilities, local initiatives, and the importance of each discipline in Gambian society.
Football: A National Passion for Everyone
It’s nearly impossible to go through a Gambian town without stumbling upon a football field. Sometimes it’s just a sandy patch marked by stones, sometimes a mini-stadium renovated with stands and floodlights. The beautiful game is the country’s true common language.
Football took root during the British colonial period at the end of the 19th century, and the creation of the Gambia Football Federation (formerly the Gambia Football Association) as early as 1952 shows how early the sport became organized. Today, it remains the most popular sport in the country, so much so that many call it a “national passion.”
In the neighborhoods, kids improvise matches with balls that are sometimes patched up, while teenagers dream of joining a club in the Gambia Premier League, the top-tier championship. Teams like Real de Banjul, Wallidan, Brikama United, Armed Forces FC, or Steve Biko have loyal supporters, and local derbies fill the mini-stadiums of Serrekunda or Brikama.
Example:
For a football fan staying in The Gambia, informal games are regularly organized on beaches like Leybato Beach. These matches bring together expats, volunteers, and locals, are open to all skill levels, and also serve as social meeting points, mixing discussions, sharing attaya tea, and football games.
Where to Play and Watch Football
The network of stadiums and mini-stadiums has grown despite facilities still considered “grossly underdeveloped” by the federation. Many fields are being renovated or expanded, often co-financed by the Gambia Football Federation, FIFA, the state, and private partners.
A few iconic places to play or watch football:
| Venue / Stadium | Location | Primary Use | Approximate Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Stadium | Bakau (Greater Banjul) | National team, major events | ~20,000 seats |
| Serrekunda East Mini Stadium | Serrekunda East | Local league, D1 clubs | ~5,000 |
| Banjul Mini Stadium (KG5) | Banjul | Elite clubs (Hawks, Real de Banjul…) | ~3,000 |
| Box Bar Mini Stadium | Brikama | Brikama United, Greater Tomorrow | ~2,000 |
| Father Gough Sports Complex | Manjai / surrounding area | League clubs | ~2,000 |
| Bakau Park | Bakau | Fortune Club, local competitions | ~1,000 |
In parallel, the federation plans modern fields in Gunjur, Busumbala, Old Yundum, and Bakau, with natural or artificial turf, safety barriers, and standard locker rooms. It also funds lighting for certain parks (Banjul, Brikama, Serrekunda East, Serrekunda West) to allow night games, which are very popular in the hot season.
450
The Medina United Football Academy provides free training to over 450 boys and girls aged 6 to 25.
Scouting Programs and Youth Practice
The Gambia Football Federation, supported by FIFA, has launched a Talent Development Scheme to spot boys and girls under 13 and 15 in all regions. In Bansang, Sukurr Kunda, Sololu, or Dumasu, selection sessions bring together dozens of children around passing drills, ball control, and small-sided games. The best then join U‑13, U‑15 and eventually U‑17 and U‑20 teams.
For a visitor interested in educational or community football, it’s possible to meet organizations like Football Gambia or Kids Are The World, which organize tournaments, coach training, and awareness sessions (hygiene, nutrition, mental health) through sport.
Traditional Wrestling: The Identity Sport to Discover
Alongside football, another spectacle draws the crowds: traditional wrestling, locally called “Borreh” or “Bantaba.” Often described as the “national sport”, it holds a unique place in the Gambian imagination, halfway between physical competition, initiation ceremony, and village festival.
Historically, this type of wrestling has been practiced for centuries in the Senegambia region. Sources trace its origins back to the 13th century. Back then, all young men learned to wrestle; winning on the sand was equivalent to proving one’s bravery, strength, and, according to Mandinka belief, one’s “nyamo,” an intimate spiritual force. Some influential chiefs, like Sader Manneh of Kuntaur or Moriba Krubally of Georgetown, were themselves renowned former wrestlers.
How a Match Takes Place
The principle seems simple: make the opponent touch the ground. As soon as a wrestler falls, even partially, he loses. Allowed holds rely on throws, sweeps, and waist grabs; punches, kicks, slaps, or throwing sand are forbidden. In the past, there were no weight categories, but today some tournaments introduce divisions to balance the fights.
The technique comes in moves with evocative names: Kuyateh (shoulder throw with leg sweep), Ngalabi (leg grab), Jabang (hip throw), or Kombo Fenda (frontal waist grab). Often, both wrestlers first grab each other’s loincloth or shorts, in a very static clinch before the explosion of a decisive move.
An Experience to Live as a Spectator… or Practitioner
Attending a wrestling night means diving into a bath of music, dance, and rituals. Drums resonate, singers urge on the supporters, wrestlers enter the scene with their handlers performing war dances. Many wear leather amulets (terrehs) or spray themselves with “saafaras”, ritual preparations meant to protect them.
Tip:
Although organized practice remains very male-dominated, wrestling now inspires fitness programs for young people. For an interested traveler, the most accessible option is to contact a local club or academy. With the coaches’ permission, it is possible to join introductory sessions focused on posture, falls, and basic throws.
Major matches take place in venues like the Serrekunda West Mini-Stadium, Serrekunda East Mini-Stadium, the Buffer Zone in Tallinding, or some fields turned into arenas. The calendar isn’t always formal, but the dry season after harvests traditionally concentrates the big events.
Athletics and Running: From Sprints to Neighborhood Marathons
Athletics is growing in importance in The Gambia. Sprinters like Gina Mariam Bass, medalist and champion over 100m and 200m in African competitions, have given the country new visibility. But beyond high-level sport, running is part of daily life for many young people.
Heads up:
The story of Gambian marathon runner Samba Bah illustrates the link between rural life and sports performance. Originally from a small village, he started running to get to school, which was several kilometers away. Despite the lack of facilities, the absence of dedicated tracks, and the need to train in road traffic, he won national races and joined a sports club. His journey highlights both the potential and the limitations of sports development in a context where equipment is scarce.
For track events, the Independence Stadium serves as the reference venue, even though it was long considered non-compliant by the Confederation of African Football and had to be renovated several times. The inter-school athletics championships bring together hundreds of students each year, with series organized by regional zones (Basse, Bansang, Farafenni, Kanifing/Banjul…).
Running in The Gambia as a Visitor
For someone who wants to keep running during their stay, options depend mainly on the location of accommodation. In urban areas, many follow the coastline: the beaches of Kotu, Kololi, or Bijilo offer miles of sand, especially enjoyable at sunrise or late afternoon. There is no official “parkrun” network, but locals are used to seeing joggers along the waterfront.
On the roads, you need to be extra careful: heavy traffic and the lack of sidewalks on some roads make sessions riskier. Early morning remains the safest time to run in the city.
Samba Bah, experienced runner
For those more interested in the community aspect, Gambian school athletics is a fascinating showcase. During the big inter-school championships, over 900 young athletes from 70 schools gather, cheered on by packed stands. The atmosphere feels more like a festival than a simple sports meeting.
Basketball: From Outdoor Courts to Urban Leagues
While football dominates, basketball is gaining ground, especially in urban neighborhoods. The Gambia Basketball Federation, a member of FIBA Africa since 1972, oversees a national league with the peculiarity of being played almost exclusively on outdoor courts. A good portion of the games take place in mini-stadiums like Serrekunda West or on courts set up in multi-sport complexes.
The Division I, the country’s top level, includes teams like YMCA, Serrekunda East, Serrekunda West, Gambia Armed Forces, Brikama, or Lamin. The high scores—for example, YMCA scoring over 100 points several times—testify to a fast-paced game, heavy on drives and transition, often played under difficult conditions (heat, wind, uneven lighting).
A Very Accessible Practice for Travelers
For anyone wanting to play, Gambian basketball is particularly welcoming. Many courts are open to the public, especially in schools, neighborhood parks, or some mini-stadiums. In the evening, especially in Serrekunda, it’s not uncommon to see groups improvising pick-up games. A ball and a few exchanges are usually enough to be invited to join a team.
3×3 Basketball in Africa
A reduced and dynamic format of basketball that is experiencing a real boom on the continent, reflected in active national participation and local vitality.
Continental Popularity
3×3 basketball is a very popular reduced format in Africa, generating real enthusiasm among audiences.
National Teams
The men’s and women’s national teams regularly participate in official 3×3 tournaments organized by FIBA Africa.
Local Vitality
This enthusiasm translates into a proliferation of neighborhood tournaments, often organized on weekends on public courts.
A few structured clubs, like Banjul United or Youzou Elite Basketball, have junior sections and set up academies to train children. In Banjul, a multi-category academy has already won several interregional competitions. For a traveler staying a bit longer, joining these structures for a few training sessions is often possible.
Basketball Within an African Dynamic
Even if The Gambia is still far from the continent’s major powers, its basketball is evolving in a rapidly changing pan-African environment, especially since the creation of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the NBA and FIBA. Ultimately, the hope of seeing a Gambian club participate in the “Road to BAL” fuels the ambitions of leaders. For now, the core of the game remains local, but several young Gambians already play for clubs in Europe or North America, which increases the sport’s appeal among teenagers.
Beach and Water Sports: Surfing, Fishing, Sailing
The Gambia is nicknamed “The Smiling Coast of Africa” for a simple reason: much of its tourist appeal rests on a generous Atlantic coastline, paired with a wide, fish-filled river estuary. This layout makes water activities a major part of local sports practice.
Surfing, Bodyboarding, and Board Sports
Surfing is still young in The Gambia, but the conditions are surprisingly favorable. The coast offers regular waves, few protruding rocks, no sharks or large marine predators, and pleasant water almost year-round. Spots like Sanyang Beach, Kotu Beach, Tanji, the Atlantic Boulevard between Bakau and Kololi, Palma Rima, Tujereng, or the beaches near Gunjur allow surfing at different levels.
Good to know:
The best time for surfing is between November and March. For beginners, it’s possible to rent a board and take a short lesson, especially through developing local academies like Kinteh Water Sports. Bodyboarding is a popular and affordable option for children and teenagers, with sessions lasting several hours.
Besides surfing, the Gambian coast is suitable for kitesurfing, windsurfing, and jet skiing. Operators like Gambino Watersports at Kotu Point or Nino & Kodeh Watersport offer jet skis, banana boats, parasailing, or kayaks. On the beaches, instructors emphasize the importance of monitoring currents and safety flags: when the red flag is raised, swimming is strictly prohibited.
Sport Fishing: River and Ocean
The Gambia is a small paradise for sport fishing enthusiasts, both at sea and on the river. Dozens of Europeans come each year specifically to target barracuda, tarpon, snapper, or cassava fish. Daily trips can be easily booked around Denton Bridge or at the river mouth, where several operators charter modernized pirogues or small speedboats with equipment provided.
Good to know:
Trips of a few hours at sea or on the river are offered, potentially including lunch on board, swimming, or bird watching. Local guides, experts in their area, provide all equipment (rods and bait) as well as valuable advice, ideal for inexperienced anglers.
Sailing, Cruises, and Combined Activities
The Gambia Sailing Club, in Banjul, welcomes those who want to sail. It organizes occasional regattas, including a well-known race to Dog Island, off the estuary. Other programs combine sailing and river discovery: “lazy day” cruises departing from Denton Bridge take visitors on 15 to 20-meter pirogues for a relaxing day punctuated by fishing, bird watching, swimming, and a meal on board.
Some companies are even planning floating restaurants or festive pontoons for sunset trips, combining music, barbecue, and kayaking.
Tennis, Table Tennis, and Racquet Sports
The Independence Stadium complex isn’t just for football or official ceremonies: it also houses tennis courts and table tennis tables. From time to time, tournaments and lessons are organized, especially for young people.
Tip:
In most major coastal hotels (like the Kololi Beach Resort or the complexes in Kotu and Senegambia), you’ll find outdoor tennis courts and ping-pong tables. Equipment (racquets, balls) is sometimes available for rent, sometimes free for guests. However, it’s worth noting that locally sold sports equipment is often expensive for its quality. Consequently, many visitors prefer to bring their own gear.
For travelers, these racquet sports are a practical option: they require little logistics, are often steps away from the room, and allow you to maintain a good activity level when the intense heat makes prolonged exertion in direct sun more difficult.
Volleyball and Beach Volleyball: The Other Beach Sport
Volleyball has seen spectacular growth in The Gambia. With support from the Volleyball Empowerment program of the International Federation (FIVB), the Gambian federation was able to install synthetic surfacing to host major competitions. The country’s president even regularly mentions volleyball alongside football in his speeches, a sign of its new importance.
Example:
On the beaches, the installation of permanent or temporary nets allows for many beach volleyball games in the late afternoon. This practice brings together diverse profiles like young Gambians, tourists, and members of local clubs. Beach volleyball is thus presented as an ideal discipline because it’s social, mixed-gender, inexpensive, and easy to access.
The national beach volleyball teams have made a name for themselves at the African level, and the men’s selection earned qualification for competitions like the Commonwealth Games by winning a West African zone tournament. For an enthusiast spending a few weeks on the coast, it’s common to be invited to join a friendly match once the net is set up in the sand.
Cycling, Horseback Riding, and Other Outdoor Activities
Beyond structured sports, The Gambia lends itself well to freer sports practice, especially along the coast and in certain rural areas.
Good to know:
Many hotels and agencies offer mountain bike or city bike rentals. Cycling allows you to discover villages away from the coast, ride alongside rice paddies near Brufut or Gunjur, and explore the laterite paths connecting small communities. Cycling races or guided rides might be organized.
Horseback riding is another original option: a few stables offer horse rides, sometimes even sunset walks on the beach. Camel rides are also available, more for the tourist experience than for real athletic training, but they testify to the diversity of physical activity offerings.
Finally, power walking or light hiking can be done in nature reserves like Bijilo Forest Park or Abuko Nature Reserve, where movement combines with observing monkeys, birds, and varied flora.
May Day Sports and the Culture of Sports in the Workplace
On May 1st, The Gambia celebrates Labor Day in a very special way: a big sports day at the Independence Stadium. This May Day Sports brings together teams from ministries, private companies, NGOs, and public agencies around an eclectic program: football, athletics, volleyball, basketball, tug-of-war, traditional wrestling, cycling.
Good to know:
This sports event illustrates two key roles of sport in The Gambia: promoting health through an active lifestyle at work and serving as a meeting platform in a festive atmosphere blending competition and camaraderie. Tourists can attend for free, making it a showcase of local sports culture.
Infrastructure and Institutional Support: A Work in Progress
While The Gambia remains a modest country in size and resources, it has made a significant effort to structure its sports landscape. The creation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) and the National Sports Council precisely aims to coordinate sports policy and support federations in their projects.
Good to know:
The state has established a levy (Youth and Sports Development Levy) to fund a sports roadmap aligned with the national development plan. A strategic plan for 2024‑2028, developed with UNFPA following national consultations, primarily aims at youth empowerment, job creation, and promoting entrepreneurship in the sports sector.
Concretely, millions of dalasis are injected into community sports committees to improve fields, mini-stadiums, and equipment. Areas like Serrekunda East, Serrekunda West, Brikama, Gunjur, or rural villages (Jenoi, Demba Kunda Kasseh, Badari…) receive dedicated allocations. Some amounts are paid in several installments to ensure monitoring and make local committees accountable. The official discourse emphasizes community ownership of projects: the facilities first belong to the residents, who are encouraged to manage and maintain them.
For the visitor, these investments gradually translate into safer, better-lit, and more welcoming facilities, whether for a football match, a basketball tournament, or a volleyball session on a multi-sport court.
How to Choose Which Sport to Practice in The Gambia
Faced with this abundant offering, everyone can find a sport suited to their desires, fitness level, and length of stay.
A football enthusiast can join a neighborhood team or take part in informal matches on the beach, while also watching a championship game in a buzzing mini-stadium. A board sports fan can alternate morning surf sessions at Sanyang, bodyboarding at Kotu, and kayak trips on the river. Combat sports enthusiasts will be fascinated by traditional wrestling and can, at a minimum, observe wrestlers training up close.
Example:
Runners can maintain their routine on the sand or small roads at dawn. Basketball and volleyball players will discover a street game culture that is both intense and friendly. For gentler activities, options like golf, swimming in a pool, power walking in nature parks, or cycling along the coast are accessible.
To get in touch with clubs, academies, or operators, the easiest starting points remain hotels, tourist offices, and some local platforms like DiscoverGambia, which collaborate with organizations like Kinteh Water Sports or football and basketball associations.
The Gambia is not just a destination where you watch sports: it’s a country where you play, where you run, where you wrestle and row alongside locals. As long as you’re willing to step away from the beach resort zone and immerse yourself in neighborhood life, every day can become an opportunity for a new sports discovery.
Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
