In excess of 200 children participated in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Summer Futsal Festival which was staged for six weeks and concluded Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
According to a release from the GFF, the programme, which was staged weekly, was conducted in partnership with Guyana Beverages Incorporated and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
“A unique private-public sector initiative, the GFF Kool Kidz Summer Futsal Festival was staged across six Saturdays this summer at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, enabling girls and boys between the ages of five and 10 to experience the joy of football in a safe, age-appropriate professional coaching environment. Underlying the success of the first phase of the festival, the three parties have agreed to stage the programme every year, including the development of an under-11 futsal tournament,” the release stated.
Samuel Arjoon, General Manager of Guyana Beverages Inc., said, “I am very elated – the programme is a first in Guyana, and Guyana Beverages Inc., is happy to be a part of it. But, more important than that are the young kids who have been exposed to football – we want to see this programme running for the next four years, and we want to see you all again next year.”
GFF President Wayne Forde said, “This is nothing short of an extraordinary experience for the GFF, the Guyana Beverages Inc., the Government of Guyana and the young boys and girls from the community. What struck me and our technical team is the level of talent we saw. We really have a good platform to build on.”
The sessions were conducted by the GFF Technical Department. Golden Jaguars Assistant coach Wayne Dover said, “It was remarkable. This programme is a step in the right direction because it helps us see the next generation of players from the grassroots level. The parents are very upbeat and did not want this programme to stop.”
Meanwhile, Deji Aderemi, whose son Joshua participated in the programme, said, “It’s a wonderful programme. It gives kids the opportunity to express their talent and love for football. It’s a window for kids to come together to sharpen their skills and develop their passion for football.”
Similarly, Joshua, described the experience as “exciting” and “fun”, adding “It was a good experience to play with different players from all around Guyana.”
