The Albouystown Community Centre tarmac was the setting for Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes to officially announce his candidacy for the post of president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
Hughes will now face off against Fruta Conquerors President Wayne Forde on November 14th for the top spot after the latter announced his intention to run for office on Thursday under the Team Integrity moniker.
Saturday’s forum hosted by Master of Ceremony, former GFF President Franklin Wilson, featured several notable names of the football world including Georgetown Football Association President Clifton Hicken, West Demerara Football Association President Orin Ferrier, Guyana Beach Soccer Association chief Rollin Tappin, Guyana Football Coaches Association head Wayne Dover and National Head-Coach Jamal Shabazz.
Hughes’s slate will comprise Attorney-At-Law Mark Waldron, Alpha United President Odinga Lumumba, Slingerz FC President Javed Ali, Kashif and Shanghai Co-Director Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major, Former Pele FC Secretary Robby Rambaran and Ansa McAl Marketing Director Troy Mendonca.
The confirmed members of Forde’s slate are 1st Vice Presidential candidate Brigadier General (retired) Bruce Lovell, 2nd Vice Presidential hopeful and former GFF Vice President Rawlston Adams, 3rd Vice President Nominee Attorney-at-Law Thandi McCallister, Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC) Chief Dion Innis, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC President Loring Benons, Essequibo Football Association President Magzene Stewart, Berbice Football Association President Keith O’Jeer and Rupununi Football Association (RFA) executive Brian Rodrigues.
Hughes during the feature address said that decision to get on board was not done for political mileage and opportunity but simply as a way to give back to the underprivileged by creating opportunities for them to achieve their true potential.
He declared that football has failed the people and said that he is willing to work with anyone for the overall benefit and development of the sport.
Hughes said that he is also committed to making the women’s game, which has been severely overlooked throughout the years, a priority.
“How can you develop a nation and the sport with only half the people?” he asked.
According to Hughes, football currently has a bad reputation with regards to the financial aspect and said that he plans to combat this situation by creating structures and systems that will ensure accountability and transparency which will protect the integrity of the institution.
“We will have an independent audit and ensure that those audits are published to the public for scrutiny. So every association and organisation, even at the national level, must be able to defend financial decisions that were made; that’s one area I intend to deal with.
“Just like a public company, we propose to publish financials so that those people who might have financial propriety on the way of which football has been conducted can check and scrutinise and we will ensure that those association who are affiliated to us fall into line and are bound by that,” Hughes declared.
According to Hughes, under his stewardship he will ensure government assistance for the sport.
He disclosed that he has spoken to the other slate in an effort to join forces and was awaiting a response.
“I want you to understand that this competition is not about running down the other side, because they are good men and women on the other side. And I said to them in recognition of their contribution to the sport, I’m proposing a joint slate because the way forward for football is if we all together with our collective talents are prepared to take this sport forward.”
Asked if the presence of Ansa McAl executive Cadogan on the slate will influence the GFF’s decision on who would be the sponsor of tournaments, Hughes answered no, declaring that systems and criteria will be created to allow anyone once they follow the correct protocols to be able to invest in the sport.
He noted that the sport needs more than two companies to serve as sponsors, declaring that the idea is to create a level playing and environment for any interested entities.
