After many years, President of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Noel Adonis, has finally returned to the sport in which he was initially involved as a player. But this time around, he has undertaken the role of a qualified sports administrator, functioning in the capacity of General Secretary for the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
Adonis who had been absent from football for quite a while, said that although his involvement in rugby has kept him away from some of the technical aspects of the sport, he has remained a loyal fan and has kept abreast of the progress of local football.
Many may know him for his devotion to rugby over the last decade, during which period he served as President, vice president and then again President of the GRFU from 1995 up to the present time.
But, long before his involvement in helping to transform the GRFU into one of the country’s most recognized and productive sports organizations, Adonis was one of the top players on the Queen’s College football team. His game later progressed and he became one of the founder members of the Camptown Football Club.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport, Adonis said that his prior involvement in the sport which he termed as being very ‘useful’, coupled with the fact that such an administrative position requires the skills and expertise which happens to be in his area, were instrumental in propelling him to respond to the need to fill the position of general secretary at the GFF.
“One can say that the opportunity presented itself at a time when I was able to respond”, he said modestly.
“What is happening in the rest of the world is that sports management has now become a specialized discipline and there is no need for persons to insulate or isolate themselves in one sport, as there are certain areas that certainly overlap, as in this case.”
Adonis added that at this pivotal point when football in Guyana had gained some positive momentum going forward, both administratively and as a result of the Golden Jaguars’ regional “on the field” success lately, he saw it as a good opportunity to make a contribution to the sport which had great potential for growth and development. “What I can bring to the sport is my skills and experience in organizational management which, when combined with the existing skills in the Federation and the goodwill that prevails in the community, can improve the general level of the sport and its organization. Coming into an organization you first have to anticipate that there are existing plans, ideas and skills, and the only way to succeed is to be committed to assessing what is in place and then working along with others to realize the eventualities that are in the best interests of the organization and its members,” he said. On the Golden Jaguars, Adonis also expressed his confidence in the technical staff, the administrative staff and the players by stating that all the relevant tools were in place for achieving the tasks set. Determination and hard work, he noted, were usually the foundation of all successful efforts.
When asked about challenges, Adonis asserted that challenges were presented simply to be overcome, a process which, in the long run, could only be beneficial to all of the parties involved, he said.
