Gaye keen to remain at the helm of Senegal's women team

DAKAR (2016 Rio Olympics Games) – The Senegalese Basketball Federation (FSBB) is to announce the national teams' new coaching crews in the coming weeks, and Moustapha Gaye, the man who guided Senegal to the AfroBasket Women 2015 title, has moved forward expressing his intentions of leading the women's side at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Talking to FIBA.com earlier this month, FSBB President Babacar Ndiaye said they were looking at reshuffling the coaching teams. The decision caught some by surprise, including Gaye, the mastermind of Senegal's last two continental titles (2009 and 2015).

''It's a rather surprising situation, but I accept it," Gaye told FIBA.com.

I am still available for my country. I am eager to take the helm of the team to fulfil the job. - Gaye

In the meantime, Gaye insisted he remains in touch with the players.

"I now have a mapping that allows me to track the players. They are back in action, and I followed with great interest the performances of some of them at the 2015 FIBA Africa Champions Cup Women," he pointed out.

Later this year, Senegal will be making their first appearance at the Olympics since the 2000. Should Gaye be re-appointed as the team's head coach, he will use the "2016 Rio Games for a better preparation for AfroBasket Women 2017 as we did with the 2015 All Africa Games which enabled us to toughen us for Yaounde in 2015."

Gaye hopes to select most of the players that won the continental championship in Cameroon's capital last year, as well as giving others who didn't make the team, a chance too.

"Extending the group implies an assessment of all of our players throughout the season to give an equal opportunity to each of them," he concluded.

FIBA