Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall presents the winner’s and MVP trophies to Aubrey “Shanghai” Major
It’s a story that’s similar to that of Jesus’s fable about the Prodigal’s Son; a return long awaited and highly celebrated. While the ‘fatted calf’ will not be killed in this instance, a slew or organisers and administrators are on board for what is sure to be a grand return of one of the most beloved sports in Guyana.
Today’s return is twofold; local competitive football will make a grand comeback amidst the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and, years after taking a hiatus from football organization in Guyana, Kashif and Shanghai will return to the baller scene.
It all comes wrapped up in a “Bounce back” football extravaganza, a little too late to be a Christmas present, but just in time for the New Year tradition of year-end football.
Today’s competition will see four teams vying for a chance to compete in the final of January 1st (Friday). Guyana’s brightest football prospects have been sorted into teams representing West Demerara All Stars, East Coast All Stars, Linden All Stars and Georgetown All Stars.
“The first thing I would like to say is that we’re all very eager: the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), its members, and in particular the fans, to see its members back on the pitch,” Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde shared in a telephone interview with this publication.
Collaboration of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) with the GFF has been integral in organising this tournament, according to the football boss. “What I think is most interesting is that we now have an opportunity to exercise and practice some of the protocols in our UEFA “Bounce back project”, and that is quite possibly going to be the way of the future, at least for the medium term,” he highlighted to Guyana Times Sport.
Cornering COVID
Of course, the GFF, MCY&S and K&S Football Classic could not have been held without strict COVID-19 guidelines in place to protect the interest of players and fans alike. In this regard, there will be no spectator presence at the venue, but the games will be live streamed on NCN Channel 11, Enetworks, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Facebook page.
Sports Minister Charles Ramson Jr and GFF President Wayne Forde are surrounded by Aubrey Shanghai Major and Kashif Muhammad at the tournament’s launch last week
However, the importance of this tournament goes way beyond giving players an opportunity to get their gears oiled in anticipation of a packed international football agenda for Guyana in 2021. In fact, the “Bounce back” tournament will be the benchmark for hosting football games during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Tomorrow’s game (today’s) and Friday’s game are going to be conducted with strict COVID-19 guidelines, but also there will be many aspects of the management of the game that will be in accordance with the protocols that were developed during the couple of weeks that we worked with UEFA,” Forde explained.
In hope of being granted the permission to host further tournaments or training camps, the GFF boss shared the importance of making a great impression the first time.
“It is a very exciting juncture to be at, where we’re just about to see our players back on the pitch; and I’m particularly hopeful that the GFF will be able to demonstrate to the Health authorities, the National COVID-19 Task Force, and to the people of Guyana that we can bring football back in the most responsible way,” he stated.
‘All Stars’
So how did the GFF arrive at the four teams; namely, West Demerara All Stars, East Coast All Stars, Linden All Stars and Georgetown All Stars?
“One of the other key objectives that we set about in putting on this ‘Bounce back classic’ event was to give our core pool of National Team players the opportunity to play a few competitive games,” Forde explained.
What occurred was, the Head Coach of the Golden Jaguars and other technical staff set aside Guyana’s local National Team contingent and divided them into four groups that would later become the four teams. There are approximately 6-8 such players in each group.
“And then we reached out to the Associations: West Demerara, East Bank, Linden, East Coast and Berbice, and we asked them to identify players that they feel could be considered as pre-referral national team players, those that are right there on the fringes of the National Team programme and can quite possibly break into the programme,” Forde related.
“What the National Team coaching staff will be doing between tomorrow (today) and the first of January is not only looking to see where the existing core of players are in terms of their fitness and technical and tactical awareness, but they will also be paying attention to some of these players that were brought on by the recommendation of the association to complement the four teams,” Forde said.
As such, the GFF President seemed eager to witness what the emerging players would bring to the table.
He said, “May of those players will be rehearsing for the main act, which is being drafted into the national team; and the existing national team players are going to have to step up and really show that they haven’t been slouching around.”
K&S: A Legacy
In Guyana, the notion of year-end football is always closely associated with Kashif and Shanghai-organised tournaments, and this has been the norm for over 25 years. After a brief hiatus, K&S are ‘in the thick of things’ once again with the bounce back classic, a name fitting for their return.
Speaking with this publication, Mr. Kashif Muhammad shared that he and Mr. Aubrey Shanghai Major are very excited to embrace the opportunity to work with the GFF and the MCY&S.
“We’re going to continue doing our best to ensure the players have a good time, the officials have a good time, and we would definitely like to contribute to the upwards development of Guyana’s football,” Muhammad declared.
“We know we could do it. We were doing it for 25 years, and we’re happy to be given the opportunity once again to ensure this process continues. Those youngsters out there who are getting themselves ready can really look forward to something big on January 1, because our mission is to make the 1st of January great again for football.”
Action Pack
The tournament will kick off today at the National Stadium with two games, at 5 and 7pm. Linden will take on East Coast, and Georgetown will battle West Demerara at the respective times. The team will be vying for a chance to compete in the New Year final, on January 1 at the same venue. A slew of trophies and cash prizes are up for grabs.
Aside from the MCY&S, Ground Structures Engineering Consultants (GSEC) and the Trophy Stall are among the sponsors.
