By Jemima Holmes
For Guyanese as a whole, the Christmas season signifies a momentous religious occasion, quality time with family and friends, a time to celebrate or ‘sport’ as some would say and for the younger generation, an occasion to receive an armful of toys and goodies. But for the nation’s athletes, especially in the football arena, the Christmas season means heightened competition, long hours of training, gruelling games and best of all, large purses of prize monies.
Yes, Christmas has something in store for everyone, but while the normal man can sit back and enjoy the spoils of his hard work throughout the year, for the likes of Guyanese footballer Trayon Bobb, the grind never stops.
Many children dream of toys or becoming movie stars, but for Bobb, the dream was simple; the young footballer born at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara was contented with representing his country on the international stage or in the club setting in foreign lands.
Bobb’s journey began at the Under-20 stage playing for the national team in that age group, his journey continued in Trinidad and Tobago where he played for the Caledonia AIA Club (2010- 2013) after which
he moved to Finland, playing for Tornion Pallo-47 (TP-47). During the 2013-2014 year, the forward enjoyed loans to RoPS and FK Kruoja, where standing out became the norm for him.
A brilliant year in the end
Fast forward to 2019: the year began with some uncertainty but the possibility of several international encounters for the senior men’s football team loomed, as Guyana sought to qualify for the Gold Cup. The confirmation came on the night of March 23 when the Golden Jaguars defeated Belize 2-1 at the Leonora Track and Field Facility to seal their Gold Cup qualification.
Bobb was on the bench during this encounter, and little did anyone know, the left winger would be the key to the Jaguars’ success months down the line.
The Gold Cup came and went and so did the Jaguars’ Head Coach Michael Johnson. His replacement, Marcio Maximo had declared early in his tenure that he would be focused on selecting a team that were a mixture of local and international players; as such, Bobb was called up to the national team once again for the CONCACAF Nations League.
“It’s always an honour representing my country because as a kid, my dream was to play for Guyana National football team and that dream came true. So, I’m very happy and I just want to keep working hard and putting in the work and try to help my teammates to take it to another level,” Bobb stated when asked about being given another opportunity to play in the national set-up.
During the Nations League, despite finishing second to Jamaica in their group, Guyana had a number of exceptional performances and many a times, Trayon Bobb was the man at the helm of the victory. Bobb went on to record the highest tally of goals by a Golden Jaguars player during the CONCACAF Nations League, scoring two against Antigua and Barbuda in a 5-1 victory and another brace against Aruba, in a come-from-behind win; both games were played at home (at Leonora stadium).
Aligning with Head Coach Maximo’s vision for the national team, not only did the setup have a balance of local and international players but experience and youth mingled in the dressing room. In this regard, Bobb was questioned about whether or not he feels any pressure to be an example to younger players.
“As for me as a senior player, a lot of those youngsters look up to me, so I always try to do my best when I go out there; I give it 100 per cent. So that the youngsters coming up in Guyana, I must be a positive example for them so that they can learn a lot from me,” he explained.
The Christmas season and football
Ask any Guyanese football fanatic, they will tell you that the Christmas season for the sport means that a senior clubs championship will pop up, with the final scheduled for January 1. This tradition was cultivated since the Kashif and Shanghai glory years, but saw a brief hiatus some years back.
In 2018, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) sought to resuscitate the culture with a Super 16 tournament, which was won by Den Amstel FC. Given the success of the tournament, the Federation decided to stage it once again.
Addressing the ‘hype’ that such tournaments bring, especially this time of year, Bobb explained that the Christmas season was always something to look forward to.
“For me it’s a good feeling, ‘cause when you look at it, you don’t really have any year-end football tournament in Guyana like a few years ago. So, this coming back and happening here, it’s a very good thing for everyone as players, so that they can express themselves,” Bobb explained.
In 2013, while with Caledonia AIA, the Guyanese left winger revelled in the joys of winning one of Kashif and Shanghai’s year-end tournament. For him, this memory is one that makes the year end very special.
“It was a very good experience, because I used to play in Trinidad and around that time, we came to Guyana and won that tournament. So, it was a very great feeling.”
Now playing for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC in this year’s Super 16, the 26-year-old player is focused on a few personal goals.
“Just continue working hard, because normally for me as a player, I do a lot of extra work on my own, because I always want to become better and be a good player to set an example for the youths,” he noted.
Aside from enjoying the abundance of pepper pot and cake that the season offers, Bobb is sure that the Police FC can celebrate a year-end victory when the final is staged on January 1, expressing his confidence in the team’s abilities.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time, because no game is an easy one. We just need to go out there and play hard and play as a team and the results will come.”
2020 Vision
With the upcoming year in focus, Guyana’s senior national men’s team is expected to play quite a number of international games as they seek to qualify for the CONCACAF 2021 Gold Cup. In March 2020, the national team will take on Barbados in home-and-away matches and if successful, will go on to play Bermuda for qualification.
With this prospect on the table, Bobb is keen on maintaining stellar performances in order to remain a staple of the national outfit. Also in Bobb’s vision is a professional contract that can take his career to new heights.
“I just want to continue working hard, go out there and get a big contract, so I can make my family, friends and loved ones proud and also Guyana.
“There’s so many to mention, but I just want to thank my fans, family, friends and especially God,” the 26-year-old player stated as he expressed gratitude to those who made 2019 a year worth playing.
