OVER the last week, chairman of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation Committee Clinton Urling has had his share of the limelight in everything except in the sport of football. Described as a non-partisan civic NGO that develops and advocates public policy prescriptions for a better Guyana, Urling formed Blue Caps last December but has recently stepped down from the post amid perception of either forming his own party or joining one of the two front-runners for the May 11 Regional and General Elections.

However, the former Chairman of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce now also adds to his seemingly long portfolio, the head of Football’s local governing body after being installed by FIFA last year.
It is said that FIFA is strict on having politicians and high-ranking players of political parties heavily involved in the administration of the world’s number one sport and as such, it will be interesting to see how Urling’s ploy in politics plays out.
Urling lifespan, along with the rest of the Normalisation Committee’s, is expected to come to an end by September, but, that still depends on the outcome of the GFF Constitutional reform process.
FIFA’s Head of Member Association, Premo Corvaro, on his last visit to Guyana, explained that it’s normal for the life of the Normalisation Committee to be extended if the Federation and its affiliates fail to reach the mandate of regularising and putting together a new constitution.
“I have no political affiliation currently; I resigned from my NGO Blue Caps but as chairman. I’m still involved and helping them to achieve their objectives. In terms of anything political, that’s the media doing their assumptions because I haven’t made any decision in that regard,” Urling said in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport.
Confronted at the Headquarters of the GFF in Georgetown, Urling told Chronicle Sport that “sometimes it might turn out that I don’t do anything (join a political party), but, right now my priority is football”.
“But what if you decided to run or join a political party; would that mean you will step down as Chairman of the Normalisation Committee, based on FIFA’s policy on political interference in the sport”? Urling was asked.
He answered, “Even if I decide a political party, that shouldn’t affect my position as Chairman (of the Normalisation Committee). A lot of politicians around the world are involved in football but all FIFA is concerned about is that your political leanings don’t affect your decision-making when it comes to football.
As it is right now I’m football, I run my company German’s Restaurant still and I’m still a member of Blue Caps and I’m happy doing that.”
As time ticks away and as the political parties up the ante in their attempt to persuade voters’ choice on polling day, pundits are of the view that Urling will be forced to make a decision.
Football in Guyana is in its most testing times; fragile is how some experts describe the situation and all stakeholders are zeroed in in the Normalisation Committee and especially its chairman, to see how everything unfolds.

(By Rawle Toney)