The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is laying the foundation for the next generation of female footballers through a strategic alliance with Blue Water Shipping to stage a nationwide Under-15 Girls’ Development League.
The League was officially launched on Saturday at the Federation’s National Training Centre at Providence, East Bank Demerara, where representatives of the GFF’s nine Regional Members Association were presented with equipment to run the League in their respective jurisdiction.
“We are creating history,” GFF President Wayne Forde said at the launch.
“Over the next couple of weeks and months, for the first time in Guyana’s 120 years of existence (as a football nation), we will have thousands of young girls in the Under-15 category learning the fine art of football.”
“These young women will be given an opportunity to play consistently and discover for themselves whether they have the ability to play and to play well.”
Forde added, “But playing well is not the only reason we want them being involved in football. We want them in football because many valuable life skills will be learnt throughout their experiences in this beautiful game.”
Being a team player, learning how to win, dealing with defeat and respecting authority are some of the core lessons Forde hopes the young footballers can grasp in this development phase.
Country Manager of Blue Water Shipping Guyana, Richard DeNobrega, was pleased to note his company’s commitment to the growth and development of the game.
“What we do in partnership with the Federation is to encourage the team spirit of football to transcend to these young ladies to have a future, and to also make our country even better than it already is,” DeNobrega said.
The Country Manager added that it is the hope these players will in the future graduate to represent the country at the various age groups, as well as the senior level.
Back in February this year, the GFF and Blue Water Shipping signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which included the formation of the country’s first Girls’ Under-15 Development League.
Blue Water Shipping is a global provider of all logistics services in modern supply chain management and is represented with more than 60 offices worldwide.
