It has come to this.
The eagerly anticipated start of the Digicel-sponsored football coaching clinics in Guyana scheduled for the National Park yesterday morning (after no other suitable venue could be found) had to be moved to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall following sustained rainfall.
Given previous experience, one would hardly suppose that officials of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) or the government would feel ashamed of the present status quo – that there is not a proper venue for our local players to strut their stuff in front of the legendary former England international, John Barnes, here courtesy of Digicel for a three-day coaching stint.
But they should.
This government has been woefully neglectful in providing facilities for the sportsmen and women of this country despite all its chest beatings about the World Cup Stadium at Providence.
The truth of the matter is, were it not for the decision taken by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to award the staging of the 2007 games to the region, Guyana would still have been without a stadium.
On Saturday, at a press conference to launch the Digicel-sponsored clinics, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) vice-president, Austin `Jack’ Warner, to put it mildly, expressed concern over the lack of facilities for the sport.
“I am pained at the neglect because of a lack of facilities for football in Guyana. No country in the Caribbean has more fields and land than Guyana but yet football has no ground,” Warner said.
“Pained?” Certainly not an emotion that the government, or the GFF for that matter, would feel concerning the football situation here.
Warner, who is known not to pull any punches, landed what some might term a low blow by suggesting that the sport was being discriminated against.
While, the usually forthright Warner must be commended for having the courage to criticize the government on its shortcomings, he should not have spared the GFF, who are equally culpable.
The GFF receives an annual subvention of US$250,000 from FIFA but where that money goes is such a mystery, that not even the great Hercule Poirot could solve it.
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Certainly it is difficult to find evidence of the money being spent here and questions as to where the money goes are usually evaded by GFF officials with the skill of a master batsman ducking a bouncer.
The irony of the situation is that the GFF boldly launched its 2010 World Cup finals campaign on Saturday at the Umana Yana without even having a ground for its footballers to train on.
Talk about vision for the future.
On the other hand, Warner’s country, Trinidad, which reached the finals of the last World Cup competition in Germany, has no such problems with stadia Warner, himself, has seen to that.
Some of the top football clubs in the country actually train at some of the stadia in the twin-island republic and there are at least 12 stadia in Trinidad with seating capacity ranging from 7000 persons, (the Marvin Lee Stadium in East Trinidad) to the Haseley Crawford National Stadium built in 1982 and with a seating capacity of 27,000.
In addition, there is the Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, a multi-purpose facility, named after Dr. Joao Havelange, FIFA president from 1974-1998.
The Havelange School of Excellence caters not only for players, but for officials, national and club teams, and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
The centre has a 6000 seat stadium, full practice playing field, two mini-fields, and indoor field for (you guessed it) rain, a swimming pool, and accommodation facilities to host football officials and others.
This government, rather than developing the infrastructure for football which would benefit many, prefers to give prize money to local promoters which benefits only a few.
It is a wonder that companies bother to bring such talent as the John Barnes of the world here where those in charge of the development of sports are so myopic.
To his credit, Barnes could be seen yesterday morning going through his paces, helping the young footballers at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) in a drill designed to teach them that a united approach, quick thinking and teamwork are some of the prerequisites for success.
Looking at Barnes yesterday, the skill and wizardry of the former England star illuminated the sports hall like a ray of sunshine.
One wonders whether, after Barnes would have imparted some of his vast knowledge on the eager young minds of Guyana’s future ballweavers, there will be any continuity.
For, unless the government and the GFF join hands and work for the betterment of the sport visits such as this one will just be a waste of time, and money.
