Alpha strengthening for K&S combat

Dec 07, 2008 Sports

---

Aiming for CONCACAF Club C/ships in 2K9

By Franklin Wilson
They have conquered all and sundry on the local scene in what has been the most successful year of their 19 year history and Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United aka the local Manchester United is swiftly moving to build on their successes.
At the helm of the club is President Odinga Lumumba in charge of the overall administration and he is ably backed up in the technical department by a core of qualified coaches headed by Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover.
Alpha has won most of the competitions contested on the local scene during 2008 and are aiming to end the year as they started by successfully defending the Kashif and Shanghai title they won on January 1, 2008.
The momentum has been set after claiming the 2nd annual Namilco Football Festival organized by Fruta Conquerors Football Club last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence with a 2-0 win over BK International Western Tigers.
Dover speaking with Kaieteur Sport said they will be leaving no stones unturned in seeking to be successful yet again in Guyana’s most prestigious tournament.
Alpha will be adding four loaned players to their ranks in keeping with the K&S regulations for the 19th edition.
Among the players touted is goalkeeper Shawn Johnson presently playing with Tobago United in the T&T Pro League, defenders Howard Lowe, Kelvin Smith and Walter Moore.
Kaieteur Sport understands that the club is presently in negotiations to get the services of a leading striker who plays in North America. If they are successful in this regard it means that one of the three defenders will have to make way for him.
And even while they are making moves to strengthen their line up for combat, Dover says that this year’s tournament will be very competitive and they will not be taking any team for granted. Alpha will play their first game against Cougars of Berbice on Sunday December 21 in the first game of a double header at the Buxton Community Centre ground.
“We are going to be training very hard for competition since we know for sure that all the teams somehow lift the level of their competition when it comes to Kashif & Shanghai. We are planning to have two weekend camps and a number of night sessions to whip the players into tip top shape.”
Dover noted that they are weary of a number of clubs including old nemesis Sunburst Camptown.   “I would like to encourage the players to live for the game and to continue to work very hard.”
Dover, who is also Guyana’s senior team Head Coach, also commended Lumumba for the vision he ha shown as commander in chief of the team while also thanking his support staff.
And while the focus is presently on the K&S tournament, Lumumba has disclosed that the club is aiming to participate in the CONCACAF Club Championship next year.
As he said they are quite aware of what it takes to be a part of such a prestigious competition.
“The team that we are going to put together would be very difficult for any local team to beat. We are not doing it because we want to disadvantage anyone. We’re going to represent our country and to do so at this level we have to be the best. So we’re going to put out the resources, find the sponsors and we’ll do whatever it takes to achieve this aim.”
Lumumba who is also the Presidential Advisor on Empowerment to President Bharrat Jagdeo said that in the next two years he will bring the CONCACAF tournament to Guyana.
A former President of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), Lumumba has complimented the current executive being led by Troy Mendonca for doing a splendid job in moving the game from when they took over from him two years ago and taking it to another level.
He is firmly of the view that too much emphasis is being placed on the Guyana Football Federation President Colin Klass and not the development of the sport.  “Klass is there as a reality, until he is no longer there we have to work to develop football.”
He took at a swipe at the business community for not investing more into the sport.
“More prize money is given to horses than to football players. These players have to play a whole year to get $500,000 while one horse race the winner gets the same amount and more so a horse is more important than a football player in this country.
Football is the most prolific sport in this country, look at the cricket ground and look at the football ground, looks at what’s going to happen at K&S and what happened at the Alpha tournament and see the number of people that attends these games and look at the cricket, the dozens that attend and yet we are not getting the sponsorship.”
Lumumba made a passionate plea for sponsors to give more noting that for Guyana to make an impact at the Olympic or World Cup levels over half a million $US needs to be invested in the next four years, “That’s the reality. You can’t win unless you put the resources in.”
Doing for football once a year he said is not relevant referring to the one off tournaments, there needs to be a constant effort year round.
“It’s like development of a nation, its like showing love for your child. You cannot show love for your child by just giving them a gift at Christmas, what happens to rest of the days and months?”
Making the call for a national league once again, Lumumba said that the GFF has to step up to the plate if they are worth their salt.

---

---