The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is planning to host three year-end tournaments, all of which will be hosted under strict COVID-19 guidelines. COVID-19 vaccination will be a mandatory requirement for all involved.
President Wayne Forde made this disclosure on Friday at the Secretariat Headquarters in Campbellville, Georgetown.
Last year, the GFF, in collaboration with the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, hosted the first sanctioned football tournament in Guyana since the pandemic struck in March 2020.
That four-team tournament culminated on January 1, 2021, at the National Stadium, Providence.
Plans are in train to host more football, this time a GFF Super-16 Cup, Futsal Championship Cup, and for the first time, a Women’s Super-16 Cup.
“It goes without saying that the past 19 months have been extraordinarily disruptive to football across Guyana. We have been unable to fully experience the excitement and passion of the beautiful game, which has brought about an elevated sense of anticipation among players, fans, officials, sponsors, and the public,” Forde expressed.
Noting it was premature at this stage to say when precisely these events will potentially start, Forde indicated that the Federation, in the coming days, will share full details of these tournaments and they will also announce the partnerships they are currently negotiating.
It was revealed that one mandatory condition of the tournaments would be strict adherence to vaccination requirements for players, officials, fans, and all other stakeholders involved in the events.
“I would like to be absolutely clear– only vaccinated players, officials, fans, and all other categories of stakeholders shall be permitted to participate in these activities.”
The President said that the majority of Elite League clubs have indicated a willingness to get their players vaccinated as the Federation works closely with the Ministry of Health to establish vaccination sites in the nine Member Associations.
Forde said they will be guided by the Ministry of Health on the decision they would make as to whether persons will have to be fully vaccinated or it will be open for persons with at least one dose.
He further clarified that even if persons stand the cost of the PCR tests on their own, they would still not be allowed to play, noting that vaccination is mandatory to be part of the tournaments.
