Forde commends RFA, UFA Presidents for swift action
…Following Region 9 U17 team’s accident
Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde has extended his gratitude to the Presidents of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA) and the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA), Norbert Williams and Wain Bethune respectively, for their swift response following Thursday’s accident involving a bus transporting the Region Nine Under-17 Team to Georgetown.
GFF President Wayne Forde met with the RFA U17 team at the Federation’s National Training Center following the accident
The team was en route to Georgetown to play Bartica in the GFF-Namilco Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Academy Playoff on Saturday, November 17.
The accident took place on the afternoon of November 16 near Rockstone Village in Region 10, and Forde confirmed on November 17 that after medical assessments had been done at the Mackenzie Hospital, and later by the GFF medical team, all players and support staff had received clearance to play.
The GFF head also thanked UDFA First Vice President Shawn Adams for coordinating transportation, medical evaluations, and meals for the contingent.
“The first thirty minutes after receiving the distress phone call were extremely tense at the Secretariat. We immediately contacted the UDFA First Vice President Mr. Shawn Adams, who quickly mobilised the transportation to take the boys and staff to the Mackenzie Hospital, where they were examined. He also arranged meals and hydration for the contingent before they continued their journey to the National Training Centre (NTC),” Forde detailed.
“On their arrival at the NTC, the boys were clearly shaken. We hugged, prayed and acknowledged the mercies of God Almighty, because this could have turned out much more badly. I must give a special ‘thank you’ to President Norbert Williams of the RFA and President Wain Bethune of the UDFA for their leadership in that moment,” Forde also declared.
President Forde thus emphasized: “Once again, the football family showcased its love, unity and reliability, as we all came together for our boys.”
The NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Academy Playoff is a crucial segment of the Academy Training Centre programme aimed at fostering the skills of boys aged 14 to 17. This initiative proudly holds FIFA’s ‘Generation Next’ stamp of approval for development.
The teams have been strategically grouped: Group A comprises Georgetown, East Coast, East Bank, the National Under-15 Team, and Berbice; while Group B includes Upper Demerara, Essequibo, Bartica, and West Demerara.
