President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Colin Klass says that the local body will be enforcing several of FIFA’s standards into the game including doping control and he called on local officials to unite for the good of the sport.
Klass made these remarks while delivering the feature address at the 19th Kashif and Shanghai football presentation ceremony Thursday night at the Waterchris Hotel.
He said Doping Control will become a regulation this year and the GFF will be putting the mechanism in place and will work closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) through its regional office in Barbados.
According to Klass, it has been rumoured that betting is taking place in local football. This, he said must be stamped out because it was unacceptable in the football fraternity.
The transfer of players is another issue engaging the GFF and he called on local players not to sign any contract with persons purporting to be agents because it could hamper their career.
He told the gathering that included several players who play semi-professionally overseas, that only FIFA certified agents should be allowed to negotiate on their behalf citing situations where players almost find themselves in slavery-like conditions because of the contracts they sign.
He said the just concluded tournament was a “job well done” but disclosed that there was still room for improvement.
“The tournament is growing from strength to strength and I must congratulate the organizers, without good initial work and a solid foundation we would not have been enjoying the results we are getting from the Kashif and Shanghai tournament,” he noted.
Klass added that the GFF and the Kashif and Shanghai organization will be working closely to lift the tournament to FIFA standards.
“FIFA rules will apply, consistency must be applied and maintained and we have to work together to protect and improve the quality of play. We have a lot of work to do because our national team in not reaching the top four of regional competition” he remarked.
The GFF boss said local referees have done the country proud and they must maintain their standard.
He called on the local football fraternity to unite if the sport is to move forward.
“There must be a desire to unite, if we continue to pull in different directions, the game will suffer,” he said.
Klass cautioned that each team should have a nursery and warned that they will not be allowed to participate in future Kashif and Shanghai tournaments if they do not have junior programmes.
He said the GFF will meet with the K&S organization shortly to be updated on their plans for the Inter-Secondary tournament.
He congratulated the winners but expressed disappointment that several players were not on hand to receive their prizes.