President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has stated that whilst efforts are being made to development the sport locally, there is still much more that needs to be done in order to make it on the international stage.
In an invited comment, President Wayne Forde explained that development may appear slow due to a number of’ hurdles’; “Guyana’s football has several hurdles to overcome before we get anywhere close to competing with the formidable nations throughout the world,” Forde stated. He then went on to highlight the lacking areas that are posing a challenge, “Look at some of the basic tools that are needed for football to thrive; facilities, certified coaches, youth tournaments, grass roots programs, those are several challenges before us.”
President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde
Over the past two years, the current administration of the GFF has invested time and energy into implementing grass roots programs and youth development. Forde disclosed that the federation has put several initiatives in place for these programs such as a nationwide academy system where they are working with patrons to identify local talent and expanding presence in the hinterland communities as a means of scouting. Collectively, these programs are expected to not only build the player population, but to also have skilled and professional athletes.
“The Federation itself cannot move football at the pace it needs to be moved to catch up with the rest of the world and the rest of the region,” the Federation President stated; explaining that the onus of development is left up to the Federation alone, however this is sometimes the case.
In the Federation’s view, one of the largest hurdles is the lack of high standard facilities. In explaining their plight, Forde noted that they have noticed governments and foreign companies in the Caribbean and the wider world investing in top notch stadiums, a factor that is absent in the Guyanese arena. “We so far do not have that situation in Guyana and up until we get to that point, the pace of development will be regulated by the difficult circumstances before us,” Forde stated.
