By: Ras Wadada

THE cries for change in the governance of Guyana’s football were answered yesterday when Team Integrity defeated Team Unity in the electoral contest held at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston. Businessman and President of Fruta Conquerors FC, Wayne Forde is the new President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) after a close finish over Team Unity led by high profile attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes.
Forde secured 12 of the 22 votes to emerge as the 2nd Bartician to head the ‘Beautiful Game’ in Guyana while Hughes’ slate received 10 votes and immediately left the venue sourly disappointed.
In a last minute effort to woo the voters, members of Team Unity called on their nominated 1st Vice President to withdraw his candidacy but he bluntly refused, much to the dismay of his team members. Former President of the 70s, P.Q DeFreitas is the first born-Bartician to be elected to the top football position of the country.
In his brief remarks after being declared the newest head for football in Guyana the 45 year old Forde expressed his thanks to all and promised to bring all on board.
“On behalf of my executive body I would like to say thank you to the Guyana football fraternity for expressing their confidence and their faith in us to transform the landscape of football in Guyana.
For many years we have been listening carefully to the cry for change and I think the members of the Guyana football fraternity have demonstrated their faithfulness in the possibility of that change.
I can tell you with complete confidence that change has come to Guyana football. We expect that this is going to be a challenging task but I am confident in the members that I have here before me and I am also very confident in the support that we will receive from the football fraternity, the media, the Government, the private sector and all stakeholders.
This is a journey that we cannot take alone, we need all hands on deck and throughout the campaign we have expressed at every opportunity, the importance of including all stakeholders and I believe that will be the hallmark of this executive for the next four years…Thank you very much”.
The GFF’s Congress was graced with the presence of Caribbean Football Union’s President and General Secretary, Antiguans Gordon Derrik and Neil Cochrane.
In congratulating Wayne Forde on his victory, the CFU President expressed great hope for the sport, “The future looks so bright you’re going to need shades’, Derrik exclaimed, which brought laughter to the audience.