COACH of the Guyana Under-19 team which will take on Suriname today in the football aspect of this year’s Inter-Guiana Games (IGG), Gordon `Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite, is confident that his charges will come out victorious when the final whistle is blown at the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary.

The match, which is scheduled for a 15:00hrs start is expected to attract a large crowd, as whenever teams from the two countries meet at whatever level, the match-up usually attracts such a following.
The last time the two teams met was in 2011 when the Dutch side won the title. There was no IGG last year, but this year, the locals who have enjoyed mixed fortunes over the past years will be looking to turn the tables on their Dutch neighbours, and to this end, Braithwaite said he is almost certain of a victory.
Braithwaite explained that while the players of the 20-member squad were not encamped leading up to today’s match, they (players) have been playing competitive football on a regular basis over the past months and each of them knows what is required of him.
Asked why the players were not encamped, Administrative Officer in the National Sports Commission (NSC) Gervy Harry could only say that the players selected for the squad are from different parts of the country.
The first staging of the IGG was in 1967 when Suriname hosted it and won the football encounter and the following year Guyana played hosts, but lost again.
No Games were held the following year and in 1970 Suriname once again won the football aspect.
The following year, Guyana won at football for the first time in the history of the Games, but Suriname stormed back the year after to regain the title and successfully defended it from 1973 to 1979.
After a 12-year absence, the Games were resurrected in 1993 and that year, the locals won at home.
Guyana continued to dominate the discipline in 1994 and 1995 under former senior national captain Earl O’Neil as coach, and he was succeeded by former national Under-19 player Dennis `Chow’ Hunte who enjoyed the success of his charges winning the event in 1996 and 1997.
But with no IGG during 2001-2005 because of internal problems in Suriname, Guyana hosted the event in 2006 and once again won at football – a feat they duplicated the following year, but were held to a nil-all draw by the Dutch side in 2008, after defeating French Guiana by a 3-1 margin.
In 2009 Guyana lost 0-2 to French Guiana and drew 0-0 with Suriname who also won the title in 2010 and 2011.
So come this afternoon, both sides will be seeking to secure victory and this is what will make the game a truly exciting one.
Guyana will be depending on most of the players who showcased their skills in the recently concluded Digicel Schools Football Championship, which was won by Wismar/Christianburg.
Guyana’s starting line-up will be chosen from Devon Charles, Simon Emmanuel Nickel Fraser, Jamal Harvey, Kimba Brathwaithe, Deshane Garnett, Malcolm Wilson, Deon Alfred, Tyrone Harper, Jason Cromwall, Kareen Knights, Domini Garnett, Keon Douglas, Keron Solomon, Andrea Hector, Raphael Edwards, Jomaul Murray, Aubrey Greene and Jermaine Scott.
Meanwhile, the 2013 IGG will officially be declared open by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at 10:30hrs today at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, after brief remarks  by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony and Chairman of the National Sports Commission Conrad Plummer.
Following the opening ceremony, table tennis will commence at the Sports Hall while the chess tournament will be staged at the Ocean View International Hotel.
The cycling aspect of the Games will commence at 08:00hrs with the time trials which will be staged around the inner circuit of the National Park, while the road race will pedal off at 14:00hrs on the West Bank of Demerara.