Twelve individuals eager to pursue officiating roles locally and internationally completed the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Referee Introductory Course on Sunday.
The GFF Refereeing Department conducted a practical and theoretical workshop on April 5 – 7 at the GFF National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Four women and eight men, including former players, were awarded certificates for completing the training programme on the role of referees in matches, which encompassed international regulations and guidelines.
The group – Aldrin Benjamin, Sheldon Toney, Kezia McLennan, Derick Daniels, Stefvon Daniels, Jenel Walker, Wesley McDonald, Andre Sampson, Alliyah Elexey, Jaheim Crandon, Tiffany Lord, and Kevin Morean – also participated in fitness assessments as an integral component of the workshop.
GFF Head of Referees Lenval Peart said he was pleased with the response from individuals from as far as Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), but he was disappointed in the absence of individuals representing Georgetown.
Peart emphasized that the GFF continues to invest in training programmes for field officials to ensure a widespread presence of referees across Guyana, but for the refereeing pool to expand, all associations need to be dedicated.
Natasha Lewis, Abdullah Hamid, and Ingram Johnson led the course, alongside fitness instructor Tyrone Tyrrell.
Derick Daniels, hailing from the Rupertee community in Region Nine, shared his enthusiasm for the workshop, describing it as “very interesting” and added that he intends to return to his community and educate “the other officials… about this aspect of the course.”
Former player Alliyah Elexey added, “I love football, so that’s the reason why I decided to become a referee. The Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) resident noted that persons are interested in the game, “but because of the whole stigma and everything when it comes to females playing football it’s tough. I want to be that guiding light for them to let them know you don’t have to be a male to like football, you can be a female, and they have different opportunities for females in football, for instance, they need a lot of female referees.”
The GFF remains committed to expanding the pool of officiating talent, focusing on increasing game time across all levels, from junior to senior competitions.
The national recruitment initiative will be ongoing throughout the year. (GFF)
