… chides critics of Government’s input
DIRECTOR of Sport Neil Kumar is dismissing claims that the Government is not assisting the Sport of football and instead has come out questioning the state of affairs of the most popular team sport. “Football is one of the most popular sports and one of the most widely played sport in Guyana. Football is not being played only in Georgetown, Berbice, East Coast, West Demerara, Upper Demerara and so on but very much in the hinterland as well.
“The great worry to the sport and the people who love the game, however, is the state of the game despite the tremendous financial assistance from FIFA.”
“The Government has attached tremendous input into football over the years and there should be no denying. It was the Ministry of Sport which started to sponsor the participation of the Lethem team in the annual Kashif and Shanghai tournament, Guyana’s top competition.
Let me also remind those critics out there how this Government is so serious and committed to the development of the game that President Jagdeo himself, through the Government, contributed $500 000 each to over forty clubs.
No other sport has benefited in such way here in Guyana and perhaps in the Caribbean, so to say that Government is not assisting football is an unfair statement.”
“The big question with regard to the money given to each club is: What has the GFF done to ensure that the funds were properly channelled into meaningful club development?
“This sum of money if it was wisely spent on improving club structure would have led to stronger sub associations, hence a much stronger national federation. Of course that has not happened and we all know the state of football.”
“I can safely say we have more playing fields available for football than any other sport in Guyana. In fact we have more playing fields to facilitate the playing of football than all the Caribbean islands put together.
“This Government was also instrumental with funding that assisted the fencing of several grounds in the city. We have also solely sponsored and dedicated a programme that provides for community football throughout the country – Inter Block”
“I always state that Colin Klass has good intentions, but I don’t know what is happening around him. One of the questions I keep asking is: What has happened to the PeeWee competition and programmes to nurture and hone the skills of the young talents? The state of Women football needs to be seriously addressed because a substantial amount of money has been allocated by FIFA to be spent on the development of women football.
Last year we had the Lady Jags doing well but that was mainly through the untiring efforts of Mr Colin Baker and Mr Mark Rodrigues who, together with the help of others in the diaspora, assembled and built a team of mainly North Americans. Of course we are proud of them and what they have achieved, but we need a strong Women’s programme at home.”
“I have been receiving lots of complaints with regard to the FIFA GOAL Project. People want to know what is really happening with the Project which is ongoing for close to a decade or more. As far as I understand it is a total failure and there seems to be no accountability.
The GFF must understand that we are willing to work along with them in the meaningful development of the sport.”
“Look at what we did last year, we invested in former national captain and coach Gordon Brathwaite and sent him on a high quality course in Germany and now we have employed him to impart his quality expertise to the nation.
“We think it is a wise investment in football because over the years Brathwaite has shown his commitment and shared his vast knowledge with youth development and now the country stands to benefit tremendously. So to say that this Government is not doing much for football is misleading.”
“Although the national stadium was built primarily for cricket, football is also enjoying the use of the facility and look at the crowds that Kashif and Shanghai had been able to attract.
These two guys have done a lot for football and other people should try and emulate them. I personally would like to commend them both for the tremendous work they have doing for football in the country.   
“People must also remember that we worked with these guys in bringing the great King Pele to the country and every year this Government contributes a lot to the Kashif and Shanghai Tournament.”