The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) have one less thing to worry about, after acquiring two new minibuses through the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) assistance programme.
GFF President, Wayne Forde, takes a photo opportunity with the buses. Technical Director Ian Greenwood and Rayan Farias are with him
The pair of buses were commissioned on Friday afternoon at the GFF’s Campbelville office in the presence of President Wayne Forde; UEFA’s Head of International Relations, Eva Pasquier; CONCACAF’s Senior Project Manager Howard Mc Intosh, and other local football stakeholders.
In commissioning the vehicles, Forde spoke of the positive relationship existing between the GFF and UEFA, and explained how such ventures augur well for the Federation on an international front.
“The commissioning of these two buses today is a watershed moment for the GFF, and is symbolic of our International Relations Strategy, which continues to bode well for the reputation of the Guyana Football Federation and Guyana as a football nation.
“These strategic partnerships are essential to our quest to acquire badly-needed football development resources, along with technical and administration capacity,” Forde stated.
Forde went on to specify areas in which the buses will be utilized. These all align with the GFF’s projects and agenda.
“These buses will contribute to significant savings to the operation of the GFF Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme, which will allow us to fully implement the next phases of this groundbreaking National Youth Development Structure,” he revealed.
Forde also expressed his gratitude to UEFA for their timely and generous gesture.
“These buses were donated by UEFA, and I am so humbled and grateful for this kind gesture. I would therefore like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Aleksander Ceferin, President of UEFA, for his generous contribution to the Development of Guyana’s Football,” Forde said.
“I wish to also thank Ms. Eva Pasquier and Mr. Howard Mc Intosh for working closely with me over the past year to consolidate the bilateral partnership between the GFF and UEFA,” Forde went on to state.
UEFA’s Eva Pasquier shared that the football body is happy to play a part in the development of Guyana’s football.
“UEFA Assist Programme is proud to support Guyana Football Federation in their continuous effort to develop football in the country. When we learned that there are young players walking for hours to play the game and then they walk back, the provision of the mini-buses is just a perfect thing to do (in) bringing people and football together,” Pasquier noted.
One CONCACAF and Caribbean Senior Project Manager, Howard Mc Intosh, spoke highly of the GFF in expressing his elation that they will have another resource at their disposal.
“CONCACAF is proud to facilitate any collaborative efforts in the region to assist in the development of the beautiful game. This gift will help the GFF to continue its many programs, which have yielded success for the GFF and Guyana,” Pasquier noted.
UEFA Assist, which was set up in 2017, provides support for the other confederations and their member associations in four specific areas: capacity building (football and operations); development of youth football; infrastructure projects; and helping UEFA’s member associations to create cooperation programmes with associations from outside of Europe.
