WAYNE Forde, president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), conducted a series of consultations and sessions with representatives from the Regional Member Associations (RMAs), Affiliates and Elite League Clubs to obtain a firsthand account of the impact COVID-19 has had within their respective jurisdictions.

The sessions, which began on July 24 and concluded on August 4, were organized in small groups in adherence to the COVID-19 social-distancing guidelines.

Forde, in commenting on the meetings, said they were informative and there was optimism among members. “It was indeed a pleasure to spend time with our football family and see how well everyone was coping in these challenging times.”

“While we have a duty to engage with our primary stakeholders when key decisions are being contemplated, it goes without saying that it will require a massive team effort to kick-start football once the situation improves and the requisite approvals and protocols are announced,” Forde said.

The GFF president also stated that “these meetings were informative and enlightening and I felt that everyone left feeling optimistic and motivated to put in the work that is so badly needed to ensure that football makes the best use of future opportunities.”

Among the issues discussed at the meeting were the decisions made by Concacaf and FIFA to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on football across the Region, present plans and obtain feedback on competition formats being developed by the GFF for the resumption of on-field football activities and present plans for the material and financial support the members will have access to during 2020 and 2021.