Sun, Jul 5, 2026
Sun, Jul 5, 2026
Football mini-pitches for East Demerara and Linden under FIFA Arena Project
President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde on Friday announced a “transformational project” for the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) and the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA).
The Federation, with the support of football’s world governing body FIFA, will be installing two state-of-the-art all-weather mini-pitches under the recently launched, FIFA Arena Project.
This global initiative, Forde highlighted, was launched by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA Ordinary Congress in Paraguay in May 2025.
A FIFA team and the manufacturer will undertake the installation, testing and commissioning of each pitch.
Subsequent to that, the management, maintenance and operations of each facility will be carried out by the respective Regional Association, guided by clear policies and regulations, coupled with strict oversight from the GFF.
The East Demerara mini-pitch will be located at Haslington, while Retrieve is the area earmarked for the one in Linden.
WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/reel/801278339522178
Forde said: “Early this year, the FIFA Council approved the installation of 1,000 mini-pitches globally to accelerate the expansion of the FIFA FOOTBALL for SCHOOLS (F4S) programme, to encourage the growth of grassroots football, and to create safe, accessible spaces for young people, particularly those living in underserved communities.”
“Guyana will be among the first members of the Caribbean Football Union to kick-start this transformational project. We are especially grateful for the support of His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Government of Guyana, and the respective regional authorities in helping us to make this vision a reality.”
According to the GFF boss, the pitches, which have already been shipped and are scheduled to arrive in Guyana on December 3, 2025, have been manufactured by Edel Grass BV of the Netherlands, costing US$98,000 (G$21 million) each.
The GFF, Forde indicated, will be seeking a waiver of taxes and duties from the Government to ensure the pitches can be transported directly to the sites upon arrival.
Additionally, the preparation of the sub-bases for the pitches will be the responsibility of the Regional Associations, with support and oversight from the GFF.
“Our engineers estimate that the construction of each sub-base will cost between GY$4.5-5.5 million dollars,” Forde told the media on Friday.
Rickford Profitt, President of East Demerara Football Association, and head of the Upper Demerara Football Association Wainewright Bethune were delighted to welcome this crucial infrastructure development in their jurisdiction.