GFF, MoTP sign MoU for D’Urban Park fields
Director of Sport Christopher Jones and president of the GFF, Wayne Forde, turn the sod where the football complex will be built.
Director of Sport Christopher Jones and president of the GFF, Wayne Forde, turn the sod where the football complex will be built.

FOOTBALL in the capital city is set for greater improvement with the announcement of the D’Urban Park Football Complex.
Set to carry out construction soon, Guyana Football Federation (GFF), represented by president Wayne Forde, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP).

The project will house an international quality full-size pitch, two mini-pitches and a new headquarters for the GFF. The mini-pitches will be fully accessible to the general public for community football tournaments and recreational games.
Minister Harmon said the signing was a turning point for youths as they would have access to high-quality public infrastructure which would cater for the development of talents in the sporting field.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and president of the GFF, Wayne Forde, sign the MoU while Director of Sport Christopher Jones looks on.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited Guyana in 2017 and met with President David Granger, Minister Harmon said, after which a commitment was made to help Guyana to achieve organisational goals.

He explained that President Granger also committed to ensuring that at the level of government, the necessary partnership for the development of the sport is maintained.
He said that the facilities will boost the physical fitness and health of the population and will be maintained by the football federation as part of its corporate social responsibility.
“These are important steps in our development. We have had a long history of dong well at cricket, but the infrastructure for hockey and football has been an inhibitor in allowing players to move to the next level,” the Minister of State noted.

Minister Harmon said that the government is extremely pleased to provide facilities for football and hockey which would be in the centre of Georgetown, adding that he expects rapid development to unfold.
President of the GFF, Wayne Forde, said the signing is a huge milestone for football in Guyana and a defining moment for the game and for the future of every young boy and girl who dreams of playing at the highest level.

“On behalf of the entire football fraternity, I would like to thank the government of Guyana and, in particular, President David Granger for his commitment to the development of Sports across Guyana,” he said.
Noting that the GFF was established in 1902 – this year will mark our 117th anniversary, Forde said. “Despite this long history, we are only now constructing our first home of football under the FIFA Forward programme.”

Thanking the vision of the government, the Federation’s president said: “Football is finally making meaningful progress by building two football exclusive facilities over the next four years. This is truly a proud moment for the entire football family and all of Guyana.”
He explained that the importance of high-quality football pitches is inextricably linked to the quality of players.

“Without the right infrastructure, we cannot develop football. It’s as simple as that. We cannot improve standards, we cannot compete at the highest level of the sport,” he said.
“This project will help the GFF to increase participation in football, spot talent in its infancy stage, increase the player population, raise the quality of our football programmes, improve the image of the sport, enhance community cohesion and improve the health and well-being of our communities.”

He said the MoU is a giant leap in the Federation’s quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.