GFF and NAMILCO team up to assist fire victim and former national player Richardson

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the National Milling Company of Guyana Inc. (NAMILCO) on Tuesday joined forces to provide financial assistance and a six-month gift certificate to former national footballer Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson whose home in Georgetown was destroyed by fire on October 4.

The former Carolina Railhawks striker received the gifts on October 10 during a simple handover ceremony at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Headquarters in Georgetown.

Richardson, along with his wife and children, lost all of their possessions when the three-storey family home in Howes and Lyng Streets in Charlestown caught fire.

During the ceremony, Richardson expressed his sincere gratitude to the GFF and NAMILCO for their support during this difficult time.

“Everything’s going good so far. I want to thank GFF President Wayne Forde and NAMILCO for coming on board with us and supporting Under-17 football and supporting me during this tragedy,” the beloved retired Senior Men’s National Team player shared.

In response, President Forde underlined the solidarity of the football community in Guyana, emphasising that the fraternity stands together as a family offering unwavering support to Richardson.

“When we say that we are a football family we are not using those words lightly, we are indeed a family and as the head of this family it is my duty to make sure that whenever a member of this family is facing the kind of tragedy Gregory is going through at the moment – then the fraternity must stand together and do all that we can to support that family member.”

Forde added that the GFF has a “role to play as a federation to step forward and intervene whenever a member of this fraternity is facing a challenge. The National Milling Company is an extension of the football family. They’ve been working with us for more than seven years now supporting youth development, supporting female football, supporting many of our programmes and it was therefore no surprise that (CEO) Mr. (Bert) Sukhai was eager to extend his generosity towards Chan.”

Richardson, with an impressive record of 17 international goals for Guyana, is undoubtedly one of the most decorated Guyanese footballers.

His exceptional skills as a striker have secured him a spot on international and regional teams, including Colorado Rapids in the MLS, Puerto Rico Islanders (USL), Carolina Railhawks (USL) and Joe Public (T&T).

Additionally, he has made significant contributions to local football clubs, including Pele, Alpha United, Beacon, Georgetown Football Club and Fruta Conquerors.

Since retiring from professional football, the celebrated player has actively engaged in youth football development, taking on the role of coaching a NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 League team.

NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Academy Playoff, which complements the GFF Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme, was launched on October 7.