COVID-19 takes a toll on GFF calendar

…Clubs still allowed to have practice sessions

By Jemima Holmes

It is no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the world of sport hard, especially those disciplines which are constantly competing and training. To zero in, the COVID-19 outbreak has taken a toll on CONCACAF’s international tournaments, such as the Gold Cup 2021 Qualifiers, which Guyana’s Senior Men’s National team were preparing for.

However, the virus has not only barred international competition, but, for the sake of health and safety, has stalled local tournaments as well.
“Our youth tournaments that were scheduled to commence in March; that is: the NAMILCO Under 17, the KFC Under 20, and some of the academy programs, we had to suspend all of these activities in order to ensure that the players and the officials are not exposed to the possibility of being infected,” Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde told this publication exclusively, when asked about the position of football locally.
“So, it would have had a direct impact on our activities, and we definitely would want to hope that this would not last for much longer and we could actually get our 2020 season off the ground,” the GFF boss went on to explain.
Conversely, while organized tournaments are at a standstill, it was noticed that several clubs continued their daily/weekly training sessions, but on a lighter scale. When asked, Forde disclosed that it is not an unlikely practice, given that the GFF has not specifically told any of its members to stop training.
“We did not issue a directive to the members; we issued guidelines and recommendations. I think that we would have to see a heightened state of emergency on the part of the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Health before we issue a directive,” Forde revealed.
However, the GFF President noted that, should the coronavirus situation escalate in Guyana, instructions would be issued to safeguard the wellbeing of the Federation’s players.
“What we issued a week ago is a recommendation and guidelines based on the posture of FIFA, CONCACAF, WHO, and the MoPH. Once there is clear indication that the threat level has risen and the Government has taken a particular stance, the GFF will go ahead and issue a directive to the members, which we anticipate they will adhere to,” he explained.
“But the priority, of course, is for them to take care of themselves, exercise some of the preventative measures that the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued to ensure that they remain healthy,” Forde explained as he expressed his deep concern for the safety of footballers nationwide.