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Bicycling
Fishing
Football
Golf
Gyms
Wrestling
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Basketball:
Pick-up sports are
common in the areas behind the handball courts, though female
players are rather rare. A national teams exists, but isn’t too
big (or exceptionally talented by international standards).
Cricket:
Inter-club cricket is played in league matches organised by
the Gambia Cricket Association, which also organises international
matches. Cricket matches can be watched in the capital's McCarthy
Square, Banjul.
Exercise Machines & Weight Lifting:
Many of the big hotel accommodations
have fitness gyms within their grounds as well as several in the
Fajara Golf Club.
Weight lifting and exercise machines: There
are a variety of weightlifting devices as well as several exercise
bikes available for use at the gym inside Independence Stadium. The
cost for a membership is about $3.60 per month. To get to this room,
enter the stadium through the front doors (the side facing away from
the hotel). Leave the lobby through the door on your right; journey
down the long hallway to find the weight room on the end. Hours are
usually between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Handball:
Handball is sometimes likened to a
combination of football and basketball. It is  played in a 40 by
20 meter (131.2 by 65.6 feet) court, with two netted goals at
either end. The sides of six players and one goalie each attempt
to score goals by dribbling and passing the ball down the court
and into the net. The winning team is the one that scores the
most points during the sixty-minute match. If you want to see
handball in action, look for games in the fenced in, paved
handball court located next to the tennis courts in the
Friendship Hotel/Independence Stadium complex.
Rugby:
Rugby is probably as
familiar to Gambians as American football—not very much at all.
However, a variety of expatriates (mainly scientists from the
MRC and
volunteers from Peace Corps and
VSO) meet twice a week at
Leybato
Beach for an informal game of touch. At the time of writing, these
games occur Tuesdays at 6:00 pm and Sunday at 5:00 pm. All ages and
abilities welcome.
Swimming:
 The
estuary of the River Gambia on the Atlantic coast provides miles of
magnificent beaches with warm seas throughout the year. Caution is
necessary, owing to strong currents.
Table Tennis:
You can play table tennis (ping-pong) inside the Independence
Stadium—enter the main doors (the side not facing the hotel) and
exit the lobby through the door on the left. The table tennis
room is at the end of the hallway, and is generally open Monday
to Saturday, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Apply within for a membership;
bring about $8.90 and two passport size photos for an I.D. card.
Tennis:
There are tennis courts in the Independence Stadium complex, so
bring a racket and a few balls if you are an enthusiast (they
are rather expensive here for their not-as-good quality).
Tournaments are occasionally held on these courts, as well as
tennis lessons.
Watersports:
 Atlantic
resorts cater for windsurfing,
jet-skis and surfing. Sailing is possible at The Gambia Sailing Club
at Banjul, which welcomes visitors. A notable event is the race to Dog
Island. Additional regattas are organised on special occasions. Both
sea and river fishing is good all year,
particularly line-fishing from the beaches. Several sport-fishing tour operators have
boats are available for sea-angling trips.
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