Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde met with recently appointed Minister of Sport Charles Ramson Jr., on Tuesday, where he highlighted the importance of a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the federation in the development of the discipline.
According to a press release, the meeting occurred at the Racquet Center on Woolford Avenue and was also attended by GFF Executive Committee Member Dion Inniss and Kashif and Shanghai Co-Director Kashif Muhammad.
“The GFF is committed to cultivating partnerships that would lead to the holistic development of the sport, at every level,” said Forde.
“We will surely do our part and that is my assurance to you, under my leadership,” he added.
Forde said at the very core sports organisations are essentially in the business of human development which is a primary nation-building objective and football, he said, was a key example of how that takes place.
“Those of us who are blessed with the privilege to manage football will say to you that less than one (1) % of every human being that comes into contact with the game from a playing standpoint will go on to play professionally,” he told the new sports minister.
“So, the vast majority of humans that participate in football, whether they start at the early grassroots level or older, will take away the fundamental human values that football teaches and will most likely go on to lead a wholesome, responsible and productive life,” he charged.
“With football we develop a passion for winning, we also learn to lose gracefully, we learn to respect the rules of the game, and the importance of identifying a figure of authority, who is usually the coach – these are the hallmarks of the football experience,” said the GFF president.
Ramson Jr., in his remarks said that the ministry was willing to collaborate with the football federation.
“We want to be able to collaborate first and foremost, to be able to get football with all the main sports functioning at an optimum level so that we can get young people playing sports, harnessing young talent for the bigger stage.”
He told Forde that the two organisations have similar objectives.
“With us here, you’ve got friends who understand the importance of building it from the ground up and that have similar objectives to be able to work together for a common goal. So it’s a win-win situation for us to be able to collaborate in a major way to get things done.” Ramson Jr., added: “It would obviously require for you to dance with me because I cannot dance alone. I just want you to know this is where we stand; collaboration, know that you have access, know that your government is here to work with you. You would have far more weight in whatever you do in your own operation and relations with your international parent body to say that your government is assisting in this regard. It adds a lot of weight and credibility to you and your operations so I want you to know that this is the basis on which we start and how we will proceed. What you’re not going to get from me is laziness, it would be a very proactive operation on my end and lots of energy.”
