GFF receives mini-buses through UEFA Assist Programme

A partnership which was only recently formalised between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has ticked off its first major achievement with Guyana benefitting from the donation of two mini-buses through the UEFA Assist Programme.

The UEFA Assist Programme, which was set up in 2017, provides support for the other confederations and their member associations in four specific areas – capacity building (football and operations), development of youth football, infrastructure projects and helping UEFA’s member associations to create cooperation programmes with associations from outside of Europe.

At the commissioning ceremony on Friday afternoon at the GFF headquarters in Section K, Campbellville, key officials spoke of initiative and how significant it is to the development of local football.

IAN GREENWOOD – TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: National Football Philosophy and Alignment with Team Buses: “The acquisition of the team buses is a landmark achievement for the GFF and integral to the Academy Training Centre Programme. They will provide the logistical and transportation support for the Inter-Academy League and fixtures scheduled throughout 2020 and beyond. Vital quality control will be conducted across all the ATCs utilising this logistical support for our Coach Educators.”

The GFF National Football Philosophy has a key pillar to ensure our PLAYERS PERFORMANCE CLOCK target of 10,000 HOURS OF DELIBERATE PRACTICE is attained to develop Guyanese elite performers: “The team buses will ensure clear alignment between strategy and our reality as we are now able to ensure that support and transportation is provided to our players to attend national team training and weekend camps at the GFF National Training Centre.”

WAYNE FORDE – GFF PRESIDENT: “The commissioning of these two buses today is a watershed moment for the GFF, and is symbolic of our International Relations Strategy, which continues to bode well for the reputation of the Guyana Football Federation and Guyana as a Football Nation. These strategic partnerships are essential to our quest to acquire badly-needed football development resources along with technical and administration capacity. These buses were donated by UEFA and I am so humbled and grateful for this kind gesture. I would therefore like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Aleksander Ceferin – President of UEFA, for his generous contribution to the Development of Guyana’s Football. I wish to also thank Ms. Eva Pasquier and Mr. Howard Mc Intosh for working closely with me over the past year to consolidate the bilateral partnership between the GFF and UEFA. These buses will contribute to significant savings to the operation of the GFF Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme, which will allow us to fully implement to next phases of this groundbreaking National Youth Development Structure.”

EVA PASQUIER – HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (UEFA): “UEFA Assist programme is proud to support Guyana Football Federation in their continuous effort to develop football in the country. When we learned that there are young players walking for hours to play the game and then they walk back, the provision of the mini buses is just a perfect thing to do – bringing people and football together.”

HOWARD MC INTOSH – ONE CONCACAF AND CARIBBEAN PROJECT SENIOR MANAGER: “Concacaf is proud to facilitate any collaborative efforts in the Region to assist in the development of the beautiful game.  This gift will help the GFF to continue its many programmes which have yielded success for the GFF and Guyana.”