brussels airlines
b.spirit! magazine
nov-dec
{ 18 }
Driving force
The Gambia’s number one golfer
Kebba Drammeh is leaving no
stone unturned to boost the
sport in his homeland
IMAGES
TIM E WHITE;
THANKS TO
NORMANTON GOLF CLUB, WAKEFIELD
When Kebba Drammeh first started to play
professional golf in the late 1990s he was given
a nickname that has stuck to this day.
“
My coach at the time, who was Zambian,
started calling me the Gambian Tiger Woods,
which I took as an honour,” The Gambia’s top
golf star recalls as
b.spirit!
catches up with him in
the UK, where he is based for a few months of the
year. “I was about 18 or 19 years old and it was
around the time that Tiger Woods was also
making a name for himself so I suppose there
was a comparison. Tiger Woods was my role
model so it was quite a nickname to live up to.”
Since turning pro, Drammeh has certainly
shown the sort of skill and determination Woods
is famous for. The 34-year-old has not only
performed well in the West and dominated golf
tournaments in The Gambia and other African
countries, but he has also gone out of his way to
promote the sport in the country of his birth.
“
Giving something back to Gambian golf is very
important,” he points out. “You see these young
golfers in The Gambia who have the potential to
play golf in the West but then they just disappear.
As someone who has played professional golf for
a while it is good to share your experiences with
youngsters and explain that the sport can be
frustrating and that you need a lot of money if
you want to come and play in the West.”
Drammeh has taken his campaign to help
young Gambian golfers beyond sharing some sage
advice. He has met with government officials to
discuss the important role golf can play in luring
tourists to The Gambia and he has worked
tirelessly to secure sponsorship for tournaments
in the country.
“
There are a lot of companies who are clueless
about the game of golf and what it can bring to
their businesses if they invest in the sport,” he
says. “To strengthen golf in The Gambia we really
need to get our young professionals playing in
competitions at home where they can make some
money and build some confidence. Other African
countries like Togo, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal
and Nigeria have three or four big tournaments
a year, which is the way to go. Overall, though,
I am positive about the future of golf in The
Gambia and Africa as a whole. I think there
are exciting times ahead.”
Brussels Airlines flies to Banjul four times weekly
