Gambia Armed Forces defence and security in The Gambia was the responsibility of the Field Force. The Field Force was a paramilitary unit of the police, consisting of roughly 140 men at independence and rising to around 500 in 1980. It has been formed in 1958 following the disbandment of the Gambia Regiment, part of the British Army. There was little concern about security in The Gambia due to its small size and the safety provided by being totally surrounded by Senegal, with which it had signed a mutual defence pact in 1965. This lax attitude to defence changed following the 1981 coup
The Gambia at the Olympics judoka (2016), and a swimmer (2016), but in all other years the Gambia has been represented solely by runners. The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) was formed in 1972, but not recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until 1976. The GNOC is based at Olympic House, Bakau. In April 2014, on government orders, police seized the building and barred GNOC employees from entering. At the same time, the Ministry of Youth and Sports placed a travel ban on GNOC officials. The disruption meant that the Gambia did not send athletes to the 2014 African Youth Games in Botswana. Following