BFA boss Marslowe grateful for official return of play

…“There is work to be done,” he says

By Timothy Jaikarran

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has announced football’s official return to play.

This welcome announcement was made during the course of the week, and it was further announced that, on May 15, 2022, the GFA’s nine member associations would commence their male senior leagues across the country, among other activities.
Alden Marslowe, who heads the Bartica Football Association (BFA), has expressed how excited he is that the official word has been given regarding football’s return to play. He noted that there is work to be done. In an interview with this publication, he was asked how he feels about football officially returning to play, and he responded: “We have waited a very long time for the return to play. So, naturally, the official word to go ahead brings with it a feeling of excitement and great responsibility.
“The task of having to affect this new season after such a long break is one not to be taken lightly. There is work to be done. The BFA is comprised of a great team of people who are all interested and willing to put in the work. No doubt, there are many challenges, but with men and women putting (their) efforts together, we will not let our players or the public down.”
Marslowe explained that the BFA will start their new season with the male senior league, which is more like a mini-league, running from May 15 to the end of July. He also noted that, along with that, the BFA would be involved in the Namilco Boys Under-17 league, the National Women’s League, and the National Girls Under-15 League, all of which are developmental programmes of the GFF.
Marslowe relayed that, with all the ongoing activities, the Academy Training Center would continue to function. With all these activities set to be run off, the BFA boss was adamant that the need for corporate sponsorships cannot be overemphasised.
He mentioned that the BFA receives much-needed support from the GFF, but there is always need for more input. He also related that, because of its wide fan base, football is the greatest vehicle to achieve visibility for businesses. Hence, businesses coming on board with football would always find themselves having a win-win outcome.
“May 15, 2022 will signal a great comeback for the sport. Our players are tired of waiting, and many of our fans are already lauding the possibility of having league football return to the community. We now have nine clubs lined up to challenge each other,” he posited.
Marslowe reiterated that there are still challenges ahead, as there is still a great need for better facilities. However, he was confident that the BFA would find ways to overcome those challenges and have the games continue, with the help of the GFF, the town officials, and partners.
Every club that has registered for the league would receive an allocation of balls and bibs, while every member association would receive financial, administrative and capacity-building assistance from the GFF by way of its Members Financial Assistance Programme (M-FAP), he divulged.