GFF installs Interim Management Committee to oversee football in Berbice

By Michelangelo Jacobus

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially confirmed the establishment of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee football administration in Berbice, with the body set to assume responsibility for the operations of the Berbice Football Association (BFA) effective today.
In official correspondence dated May 18 and seen by this publication, the federation informed Congress members that “an Interim Management Committee (IMC) has been established for Berbice for governance and administration of football in the region”.
According to the document, the IMC was identified and appointed on May 16 and will comprise Sean McDonald as chairperson, along with Shauna Hutson and Quason Liverpool as committee members.
The correspondence, signed by GFF General Secretary Pushpargha Chattopadhyay, stated, “Effective 18th May 2026, the BFA IMC shall assume responsibility for the daily operations and administration of the Berbice Football Association. The committee’s appointment will remain in effect for a minimum period of one (1) year.”

The federation said the move forms part of its wider effort to improve football governance within the region.
“The establishment of the IMC forms part of the federation’s commitment to strengthening football administration and ensuring the continued development and effective management of football within the Berbice region,” the correspondence added.
The GFF also called on Congress members to support the committee as it begins carrying out its responsibilities.
“The GFF kindly asks for the full cooperation and support of all congress members as the IMC undertakes its responsibilities in the best interest of football development in Berbice,” the letter stated.
The latest development follows earlier correspondence issued by the GFF late last year, in which it indicated that the BFA had failed to demonstrate that it possessed “a functioning, duly elected Executive Committee administering the affairs of the association”.
According to that correspondence dated November 25, 2025, the GFF cited governance and administrative deficiencies within the BFA, including the alleged failure to submit mandatory statutory and financial documents such as Executive Committee meeting minutes, activity reports, financial statements, and the MFAP funding report.
The GFF had maintained that the situation created operational instability and affected football activities in the region, prompting the federation to invoke Article 51 of its statutes to install an IMC.
The federation had also outlined that the IMC would be responsible for administering the day-to-day affairs of the association, aligning the BFA’s governance framework with GFF requirements, regularising club structures and administrative processes, and eventually organising elections for a new executive committee.
However, the decision has been strongly challenged by the BFA.
In a response signed by BFA General Secretary Heathcliff Peters, the association questioned the legal and procedural basis of the federation’s intervention and accused the GFF of selectively enforcing its statutes.
The BFA argued that the GFF had previously taken no action during periods of what it described as “more severe governance instability” between 2021 and 2023, when multiple Executive Committee members resigned and only a limited number of officials remained active within the association.
The association also maintained that the GFF’s own conduct contradicted claims that the BFA was non-functional, pointing to the federation’s continued engagement with BFA officials, participation of the BFA President at GFF Congress meetings, involvement in development programmes, and acceptance of Berbice league champions into national competitions.
According to the BFA, these actions represented “explicit and ongoing recognition of the BFA as a functioning and legitimate member association.
The association further claimed that all documents related to the 2024 Berbice Senior Men’s League had already been submitted directly to the GFF President for the release of MFAP funding.
The BFA had also called on the GFF to reconsider the appointment of the IMC, engage in dialogue with the association’s officers and stakeholders, and provide what it described as “clear, evidence-based justification” if the decision is to remain in place.
The association also indicated that it reserves the right to pursue further review and escalation through the appropriate channels if the matter is not resolved.