Former technical Director of the Guyana Football Federa-tion Jamaal Shabazz is calling on the government and the business community in Guyana to build on the visit of Brazilian soccer legend King Pele.
Shabazz sees the visit of Pele who is expected to arrive in Guyana on Saturday as a “once in a lifetime opportunity for Guyana to get it right.”
Trinidadian Shabazz praised the Kashif and Shanghai organization for taking the initiative to bring the Brazilian icon to Guyana.
“I think that the Kashif and Shanghai Organization have demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt they are the trailblazers in Guyana’s football.
“These guys have proven again that they are top class when it comes to football genius.
“By bringing `King’ Pele, Kashif and Shanghai has given the Guyana Government, the people, the business community and the GFF a platform upon which all of them can stand in unison,” Shabazz declared.
“When I saw it made headline news on Trinidad television the Guyana in my chest was so
overwhelmed, it brought tears of joy for what my brothers have achieved. These guys are bringing the King of Football what more can a country want?” questioned Shabazz.
“If the Government, the GFF and the business community cannot use this visit of the King to take the country’s football forward then they would have failed the people of this blessed country,” Shabazz declared.
Shabazz, who resigned last November from the GFF and now works with the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation and is part owner of professional team Caledonia AIA in the T&T Pro league, explained how the different parties should see `King’ Pele’s visit.
“The Government will see how the passion of football can capture and move the people and there are no politics without the people. It is the people who make the government.
“The businessmen will see how football can be used as a vehicle to market their goods and services and thus partner with the sport and spend of their wealth to invest in development programmes. But nobody wants to plant the corn but when you have a big event, everybody wants to raid the barn. “And the GFF must see that they need to get up of their knees and stand as men and take the football forward. So much young minds in Guyana and they’re not utilizing them. So much plans, so much talk and too little action.” “It pains me to see a country that has everything it needs for football to become a major industry stay on its knees as beggars and complainers when they should be uppermost in the region,” added Shabazz.
“If one organization (Kashif & Shanghai) can have the vision to bring the `King,’ think what Guyana could achieve if the Government, business and the GFF come together,” he reasoned.
Asked what he thought should be the priority after Pele’s visit, Shabazz stated: “Think about the children Guyana, think about the future and equip them to achieve to succeed where we did not!”
