Technical support can help Digicel develop local talents

In the past, the support of Digicel saw some young players like Jermaine Fletcher, Troy Lewis, Mark Wronge, Jason Cromwell, Romario Welcome and McCurd Cramer being able to learn from experienced coaches.
It has been a while since Guyanese players were able to benefit from the interacting with top-level coaches by virtue of the company’s support. The hiatus in coaching programmes of this nature could come to an end in the near future since, according to Digicel’s Head of Customer Care, Sherwin Osborne, the technical support of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for this schools’ championship could be the boost needed.

“It [GFF Technical support] will add to that. Previously, we did the administration of the tournament, and were not technically sound in providing players who are naturally talented”, Osborne disclosed in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport.
Support from GFF is not the panacea to ending local players exposure to intense programmes since there is need for a proper structure to be created.
“It will take some time in terms of finding the right structure, the right timings and the right resources. This is why the GFF is partnering with us in terms of developing coaching,” Osbourne revealed.

“You can have the best players in the country, but if you don’t have proper coaches, those talents will be wasted. It is a combination of everything, since some schools don’t have coaches. If we can train teachers to be coaches, and move up that line, we will see improvement of the tournament. It is a whole structure base that has to be put in place, and that won’t happen overnight,” Osbourne explained.

Digicel’s focus is not just on providing an avenue for football to be played, but on developing players holistically.

“Once we find that talent, whatever assistance we can give, we will do our part in developing (it) both academically and professionally,” Osbourne revealed.

In this regard, Osborne highlighted the company’s support of defending champions Chase Academic Foundation, whose captain, Jeremy Garrett, had his airfare funded to attend the world famous football club Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

Last year, the company gave young aspiring footballers the opportunity of a lifetime when players made a visit to the England-based Manchester City Football Club and the club’s home ground, the Etihad Stadium.
Whilst there, the aspiring footballers trained with, and learnt from, some of the best players and coaches in the world at the Club’s elite training and youth development facility, the City Football Academy.