During his much-publicised homecoming tour of Guyana in January, Hall-Of-Fame Guyanese footballer, Alex Bunbury, witnessed first-hand the unbridled enthusiasm, talent and potential of hundreds of Guyanese boys and girls who attended his goodwill clinics across the country.
He also recognised the urgent need for better training facilities, equipment and services, and promised his young students he would leverage his resources and global connections to ensure these basic needs were met as soon as practically possible.
Subsequently, Bunbury and his team of business and sports professionals (Team ABSAA – Alex Bunbury Sports & Academics Academy) presented architectural renderings and a bold proposal to the Government of Guyana to build and manage a multimillion USD, eco-friendly, state-of-the-art sports, academics and resort facility in Guyana – The ABSAA-GUYANA Project.
The ABSAA-GUYANA concept binder is currently being reviewed by the government and Bunbury is cautiously optimistic that a signed agreement-in-principle to the project as outlined in the document is forthcoming in the near term.
Undoubtedly, the ABSAA-GUYANA facilities as envisioned by Bunbury and Team ABSAA, will not only transform the infrastructure, standards and culture of sports and academics in Guyana, but will also create thousands of high-paying jobs for Guyanese.
Team ABSAA recognises that the new government has other priorities, including the budget, local elections and preparation for the national Golden Jubilee celebration, and as such, its response to the ABSAA-Guyana concept binder may be delayed. However, while the ground-breaking ceremony for the ABSAA-Guyana project may be a year or two away, the above-mentioned needs of the young Guyanese student-athletes require immediate attention.
Motivated by his promise to the Guyanese students in January and by his strong desire to launch a developmental initiative as a tribute to his older brother, Morrell “Bumbo” Bunbury, who passed away tragically a few weeks ago, Alex has decided to unveil The Morrell Bunbury Grassroots Development Program (MBGDP).
The entire programme (MBGDP) will be privately funded by Alex Bunbury and will complement ABSAA’s quest to create hope and opportunity through sports and academics.
It will, among other things, Register Game Of Life Inc. as a private company in Guyana with direct oversight of ABSAA and MBGDP; Invest in the founding and operation of a new professional football franchise/club in Plaisance. The franchise will pursue entry into Guyana’s Stag Elite League in full compliance with the GFF’s application process and eligibility criteria. Additionally, the club (name tba) will emphasize youth development (male and female) in football and academics, and opportunities will be provided for players to earn college scholarships and professional contracts to study and play overseas.
There is also plan to invest in building a state-of-the-art training football field in Plaisance for the new club and adoption of the St John’s Bosco Orphanage in Plaisance, to include: (a) the procurement via direct purchase and donations of needed resources such as books, computers, clothing, food and other supplies; and (b) the funding of a sports training program to help the young athletes reach their full potential as productive citizens in the game of life.
There is also a move to purchase and renovate a building to provide the following: (a) office space for lease to local small businesses; (b) a retail store for sports gear and equipment; (c) an academic support programme to provide tutors, mentors and advisors/counsellors for young boys and girls to address their unique needs for supplemental education and guidance services. The programme will feature a foreign language department to enable students to learn Spanish, Portuguese or French as a second language.
MBGDP also plan to donate to the GFF much-needed football gear, equipment and supplies designated for underserved regions such as Lethem, Bartica and other rural communities in Essequibo and Berbice.
Bunbury is scheduled to arrive in Guyana on April 18. The MBGDP, as outlined above, will be launched thereafter in collaboration with local stakeholders.
“Bunbury would thus have demonstrated to the Guyanese people that he is indeed a man of action, firmly committed to investing his personal wealth for the advancement of his Guyanese brothers and sisters,” a release from the organisation noted.
