Tabbal has served the The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) since 2011, when he took up the position of chairman of the Marketing Committee.

He held that role until 2016 and is currently on the GNOC Executive Committee.

"I am absolutely honoured and proud to be chosen as Chef de Mission for Team Gambia for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," Tabbal was reported as saying by The Point.

"This does not only come to me as an amazing opportunity to represent our country and NOC at the highest level, but also comes as an enormous and exciting challenge and responsibility."

Tabbal claimed he is equally eager to work with the NOC, national sports associations and other governing bodies to make sure that every athlete that qualifies for the Gambian team will be given the necessary support to achieve their best performance in Japan's capital next year. 

It is claimed Tabbal’s profound experience coupled with a trusting relationship with the GNOC and National Sports Associations, and having held several leadership positions both in Gambian sports and the private sector, made him a great candidate to become Chef de Mission.

He is a co-founder and the current treasurer of the Gambia Golf Association, and was co-chair of the Organising Committee and coordinator for the last four Gambia Open and Pro Am Golf tournaments.

Tabbal also actively participated and represented The Gambia in Royal & Ancient Golf Club "working for golf" seminars in St Andrews, Scotland, both in 2013 and 2017.

Furthermore, he attended and actively participated in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) World Conference on Sport and the Environment in Sochi in 2013, when he received an IOC Diploma for outstanding environmental practices through sports.

The Gambia has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since Los Angeles 1984, although the country has never won a medal.

At Rio 2016, the nation was represented by 200 metres sprinters Adama Jammeh and Gina Bass, judoka Faye Njie and swimmer Pap Jonga.