Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 23, 2011 Sports
30 officials participate
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in association with FIFA yesterday commenced a 5-day Referees Assistance Programme at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Orchid Drive, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
A high powered team of FIFA trained and accredited facilitators including Mr. Merere Gonzales (FIFA Fitness Instructor), Mr. Ramesh Ramdhan (FIFA Referees Development Officer) and Mr. Peter Prendergast (FIFA Referees Instructor) are the main facilitators of the course which will see the local Referees Instructors having the opportunity to showcase what was thought to them at a training programme that was held in Jamaica a few months ago.
Yesterday’s opening ceremony was attended by the FIFA Instructors, President of the Guyana Football Referees Council (GRFC) Mr. Alfred King and President (ag) of the Guyana Football Federation Franklin Wilson who delivered the feature opening remarks.
Wilson in his remarks congratulated and complimented FIFA as well as all the participants for being chosen to be a part of the RAP Programme noting that it was an important step in the direction of building the game of football in Guyana. He told the gathering that knowing the game, understanding the rules and developing a sense of how to apply those rules on the field of play was no less important to improving the standard of football in Guyana as is the development of skills and facilities for the game itself.
Wilson stated that the game in Guyana is experiencing mixed fortunes at this time; noting the excellent form which the Golden Jaguars have been producing during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, stating that Guyana is well positioned to clear an important hurdle on the way to Brazil in 2014.
“On the other hand, it is no secret that the GFF is experiencing challenging times.” He said that he sees the period ahead as a kind of obstacle course that will test his own leadership skills and personal commitment to the development of the great game of football in Guyana.
“At the same time I readily concede that this is not a challenge that I can be expected to face alone. The GFF is not about the President. It cannot be that way. It is about the entire executive, the staff of the Secretariat, the affiliates in the various Regions and about all those others who recognize the importance of the role that is has to play.
“I will work, not alone, but as part of a team. At the same time I will ensure, as far as I can, that the decisions that we take are taken in the interest of football and not in the interest of cliques and groups whose interests, frequently, do not coincide with the interest of football in Guyana.”
He noted that the GFF has to press forward and for as long as he is entrusted with the position of the Presidency he will continue to press forward and is asking all those who are committed to the game to press forward with him.
“I regard the responsibility for the development of football in Guyana as a shared responsibility and it is my hope, indeed my expectation, that those who so clearly indentify the perceived weaknesses in the condition of the local game will join with us at the GFF in seeking to right those wrongs. I say this because I wish to make it clear that it is my intention to do everything in my power to bring an end to those divisions, real or imagined, between and among the stakeholders in the game. At the same time I want to say that the GFF can do no more than reach out. It is up to those other stakeholders to reach out as well.”
The GFF President continued: “For me team-building is critical to placing the GFF on the path to progress. In that regard I want to say that the Federation will have to pay greater attention to the concerns and wishes of our Associations across the country. I believe that the time has come for us to reach out to other friends of the game, people who have the skills to take us where we want to go.”
GFRC President Alfred King applauded FIFA for their
continued commitment towards continued training for officials and in this case, referees.
The RAP Programme he stated has brought about a positive change in the culture of the referees and he has seen more commitment and quality referees being produced while there is still much room for improvement.
Gonzales also delivered remarks and urged the participants to be committed and dedicated towards the profession, he encouraged them to work hard and be disciplined in their approach to the game with regards to training hard and keeping fit.
Ramdhan who gave an overview of the RAP Programme also encouraged the attendees to take a much more serious approach to the business of referring noting that this was the fourth year of the programme and it was time for them {referees} to start the process of graduation to the next level.
He said that Guyana he has seen improvement over the years in terms of younger officials coming to the fore but the concomitant quality on the field of play in a general sense needs to be achieved.
Delivering the course outline was Prendergast who also encouraged the officials to aim for high standards at all times and to remain focused on making themselves better in their trade. Yesterday’s proceedings were chaired by Vice President of the GFRC, Carlos Bernard.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 19, 2024
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