Waramadong Coach focuses on longevity after win in major KFC tournament

By Jemima Holmes

Last Friday evening, an 82nd minute goal handed D.C. Caesar Fox Secondary, out of Waramadong in Region 7, their first-ever KFC Goodwill International Schools Football Championship and their first-ever victory in a major tournament.
The taste of victory has left this Region 7 team thirsting for continued success; and not only do the members of this team intend to bask in the glory of their achievement, but Team Waramadong will be looking to maintain their dominance going forward. This is according to Coach Artherley Elliman, who has been with the team for several years.
In an exclusive chat with Guyana Times Sport following their championship win, the Coach explained that the victory is of great significance to this hinterland team. “This victory means much to me because, from the past, we’ve been playing in this tournament and we’ve come this far for a while now. And to win this tournament now, I have this strong feeling that we will always win this tournament for the coming years,” a beaming Elliman told Guyana Times Sport.

He continued, “This team had to train hard from the start, and we did it!”
Elliman, who also suits up for his Region from time to time, explained how he utilised his knowledge of the Georgetown conditions to best tailor a training regimen for the victorious team. He began by explaining, “For my history, I’ve been playing football. I’ve played at this ground, I’ve played at the bigger tournaments with the Heritage Games, so I have a knowledge of what to expect when I come out here. So that is what I’ve been training them on.”
Detailing some of the team’s training, he said, “The passes that everybody see was perfect, that is what I put in. We had to wake up every morning, 5 o’clock to 6:30. In the afternoons, we had to run every afternoon to build up the stamina to play. So far, my work has paid off, and I’m very thankful.”
Elliman said he could have sensed victory for his team in the KFC Goodwill tournament since the beginning of the tournament, but when they thumped Christianburg Wismar in the semifinal, that’s when he became convinced that his team would emerge victors.
“Yes, I had the confidence, because, since the beginning of the tournament, we didn’t concede no goals. So, I had this confidence that we would go through till to the finals and win this tournament,” he said.
Now with a reputation to uphold, the Coach is not only focused on ensuring that his team performs well in future, but that younger players are prepared to join the troops.
“The team now, most of them will be leaving to go back to their villages, and some will be over 18 now; so, starting January, my plan is to start working harder on the younger team, to build them up to be more stiff, so that at least they could play like 3 more years in the tournament, and they will get the knowledge and understanding to win this tournament,” Elliman related to this publication.
Waramadong Secondary opposed St. Benedict’s College of Trinidad and Tobago in the KFC Goodwill 2022 final, and Bevon Jones hit the winning goal.