ALEX Bunbury, the 48-year-old Guyanese who is considered one of the greatest Canadian football players ever, gave an emotional testimony about his journey from Plaisance to Montreal where he excelled at the ‘Beautiful Game’. It’s been 40 years since Bunbury has returned to the land of his birth. The youngest of 13 children, born to Doreen and Harry Bunbury, was highly emotional, as he outlined his plans for the building of the ‘Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy’ in Guyana.
“My brother (Sam) would usually visit (Guyana) and people ask me why only now; why did I wait 40 years to return home? But I tell them, I can’t be part of something that was not good or healthy,” a tearful Bunbury told reporters at a press conference he hosted at the Pegasus Hotel.
A change in Government and also a new Guyana Football Federation (GFF) executive committee are some areas of change that Bunbury related to, that enhanced his life-long dream of returning to Guyana and making a meaningful impact.
The ‘Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy’, according to the Canadian football icon, will be established to help athletes in a cross-section of disciplines which he hopes will instil in them the same values that helped him to become one of the best players to ever don the colours of the ‘Canucks’.
“When I left Guyana at age nine, I knew nothing about playing football. I actually started playing at 12 years old and I was taught that the game is 95% heart and brains and the other 5% is your God-given talent.
Sadly, our athletes in Guyana – some of the most naturally talented in the world – lack that mental ability to make it to the next level and it is my hope that this academy could help them,” Bunbury said.
At present, there’s no named location for the Academy, since his visit was to have consultations with various stakeholders and to ‘check-out’ some proposed sites.
Government’s involvement, Bunbury said, will play an integral part in how successful the Academy will be, noting “a lot of what we have planned will depend heavily on the involvement of the Guyana Government. So over the next two weeks we’ll be meeting with them (Government) to see where and how we will make this work”.
Director of Sport Christopher Jones stated that the National Sports Commission’s doors are open to help in any regard and will be looking forward to meeting with Bunbury, since he (Jones) believes that an Academy can help to mould Guyana’s sports men and women and put them on the excellent path of life.
Meanwhile, apart from the setting up of the ‘Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy’, football clinics will be held in Berbice, Linden, Lethem and Georgetown, with the assistance of Guyana Football Coaches Association.
Bunbury was accepted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006, following his illustrious career.
In total, he represented Canada in 21 youth internationals, including the FIFA World Youth Championship in the Soviet Union in 1985 — the same year he kick-started his professional soccer career as a striker with the Hamilton Steelers.
Over the next four seasons, he scored 28 goals in 76 games before moving on to the Toronto Blizzard, Montreal Spura, West Ham United and Maritimo in Portugal, where he remains the club’s all-time leading scorer.
He returned to North America in 1999 and retired after two seasons and an MLS championship with the Kansas City Wizards.
Bunbury made his debut with Canada’s senior team while still a Steeler in 1986. In the 11 years that followed, he earned 65 caps and 16 goals – including a record 11 in World Cup qualifiers.
He was twice named the country’s Player-of-the-Year and in 2012 was named to the all-time men’s team as part of the Canadian Soccer Association’s centennial celebrations.
By Rawle Toney
