FORMER national football coach August `Cha Cha’ Wooter of Suriname died last Friday in Paramaribo, Suriname, from injuries he sustained while holidaying in Guyana about six months ago.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport via telephone yesterday, one of the former national coach’s prodigies, Lennox `Cross Eye’ Arthur, said that Wooter was in Guyana about six months ago on vacation and was involved in a motor vehicle accident “and apparently he suffered an injury to the head”.Arthur, a former national football coach himself, said on Wooter’s return to neighbouring Suriname, he – the head coach of the national youth team from 1967 to 1970 – complained of feeling unwell and was taken to the hospital in Paramaribo, Suriname but succumbed..
Arthur, who was a member of the 1967 national Under-17 team at the time, said Wooter also had coaching stints in Suriname, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.
“He was a very experienced and knowledgeable coach, one who trained (physical) and coached the team himself,” Arthur stated, adding “he lifted the standard of Guyana’s football then. He was very good at physical preparation and was also a tactician”.
Among the many local clubs he shared his expertise with are: Santos, Pele, Thomas United and the Georgetown Football Club.
Players, namely Arthur, Michael Pierre, Earl O’Neil Donald `Casa’ Neblett, Julian Fernandes, Clyde `Farmer’ Brown, Woolley Forde, George Mitchell and Michael Hampden are some of whom have represented Guyana at the national level.
Arthur has expressed his condolences to the family and relatives of Wooter who will be buried on Friday in Suriname.