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It is not always that a football team shed off its name to adopt another. But that is exactly t what NAS FC, one of the most fascinating football teams in the Gunjur nawettan has done. And again for good reason. They are now called Standard FC, after this very medium. According to the Belgium-based founder and former head coach Alieu 'Mourinho' Jabang, the decisions for the name change came because: "The Standard newspaper is one of the leading newspapers in the country that is increasingly serving the reading public and its stand in the welfare of youth development in the country and the wider world is no secret to those who follow the paper. So we believe partnering with them and using their name will only bring us the progress we desire''. History NAS was first known as the Young Farmers Association, a community-based organisation of young people, mainly teenagers including both boys and girls. “Our aim was to empower youths and sensitise them to abstain from drugs, harmful intoxicants, teenage pregnancy and other negative social vices since July 26th 2002. I was a teenager myself at the time that I formed the association together with some friends,” Jabang said. He further disclosed that in order to keep the interest of young people alive, a decision was made to venture into sport as a quick way of bringing people together. “This was what led to the formation of Young Farmers Football Club in the same year (2002) and later renamed NAS Football Club in 2008,” he said. The team reached the last eight of both the Gunjur nawettan league and knockout in their debutant year in the senior category after a glittering trophy laden spell in the junior nawettan. According to Jabang playing football in other areas enabled them to create friendships with other youths especiallyi n Kombo South, North, East and Central. Other influences The membership also expanded beyond the frontiers of Gunjur and even to the diaspora, numbering over 175 people excluding the board of trustees and management which is made up of influential people. Mr Jabang added that the team was through other activities able to produce very productive youths whose participation and contribution towards the development of their community and the country at large is immeasurable. “Most of these youth are now teachers, nurses, journalists, laboratory technicians, businessmen/women, professional tailors, carpenters, electricians, architects, youth and gender advocates and a would-be-lawyer in the near future. I also want to use this opportunity to thank The Standard newspaper for accepting us as well as our fans, and well-wishers,” he concluded. Commenting on these developments, the sports editor at The Standard Lamin Cham said. “This is a pleasant piece of news and in fact a mark of respect for the paper and we look forward to meeting with the team and working in partnership. Their achievements are already commendable.”