– senior local players opt out of training
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has remained silent following the publication of a signed correspondence from Golden Jaguars members detailing shortcomings associated with the administration of the programme, with members of the local contingent opting against training in protest.
The letter, which was signed by every player who participated in Guyana’s final League A fixture against Suriname, a total of 23 to be exact of both local and foreign persuasion, detailed the concerns and issues affecting the team that have yet to be remedied and addressed by the GFF, despite the roster requesting a meeting with the GFF yesterday.
Although a training session was also scheduled for yesterday morning, only three members of the practice squad turned up for the session as the locally based senior players opted to stay away. This was a direct response to the silence of the federation in addressing the correspondence.
Efforts to contact GFF President Forde for a comment proved futile. Calls to his cellular phone went unanswered up to press time.
“We, the players of the Guyanese national football team, are writing to formally express our deep concerns about the ongoing issues that are negatively affecting both our performance and our morale as representatives of the national team. It is with respect and love for our country that we address these issues, but we must make it clear that playing for Guyana should be a privilege, not a burden,” the opening paragraph of the signed letter read.
Chief among the issues cited by the players are inadequate travel arrangements and late and inconsistent payment, among others.
“We are regularly being subjected to unreasonable travel schedules. For instance, in this window players are expected to take four flights within 24 hours, missing two nights of sleep, and arriving in the UK only two days before their club matches. This severely compromises their recovery and increases the risk of injury. These travel arrangements could have been avoided by booking more direct flights, which are readily available. Such lapses in planning reflect poorly on the preparation for international duty and directly impact player well-being and performance”, the correspondence stated.
According to the letter, the lack of financial transparency and the consistent bugbear of delayed flights “reflects poor organisational standards”, which can be alleviated or avoided with proper planning.
The letter further stated, “Contracts with specified payment dates are repeatedly being breached. We continue to wait without explanation for payments that were agreed upon, often with no communication as to why or when the funds will be paid. Moreover, we were not informed in advance that the advance payments for this camp would not be provided, further damaging trust between the players and the federation.
This lack of transparency and consistency is unacceptable.”
Additionally, the players are dissatisfied with the apparent lack of effort by the GFF to resolve issues despite several prior meetings with respect to those issues.
“We have engaged in multiple meetings with federation staff over the last five months, expressing concerns and suggesting solutions, yet little progress has been made. We continue to represent Guyana out of pride and honour, but we are being met with persistent challenges on the pitch.
This is making it increasingly difficult to maintain our commitment when the treatment we receive does not match the dedication we bring to our national duty”, the correspondence stated.
According to the letter, players would like to see clear and consistent standards going forward, which entails honouring and respecting the sanctity of contacts and timely communication to address and remedy issues, noting, “Broken contracts without explanation are damaging the trust between the federation and the players.”
Although the players are willing to iron out the issues, clarity is requested on the financial constraints faced by the federation to ensure that the necessary funds are secured for the team in the future and that a disclosure of the strategies and plans that will be utilised to attract sponsorship occurs.
The letter noted, “We are at risk of developing a culture where delayed payments, poor communication, and inadequate travel arrangements are normalized. This is unacceptable and puts undue strain on the players. Players should not be forced to take up to 24 hours to return home because of an inability to secure proper travel funds, nor should we be subjected to suboptimal arrangements that harm both performance and morale. We are committed to representing Guyana with pride, but we need the federation to match this commitment by addressing these concerns.
These issues not only affect our physical well-being but also damage the morale and cohesion of the team as well as limit the nation’s ability to grow the programme further. We ask for immediate action and clear communication to resolve these matters and set a higher standard for the national team going forward.”
