Overseas-based Guyanese launch Football Chapter in Berbice

Jun 20, 2009 Sports

The revival of Guyana’s football to what it once was in the 70’s and 80’s, received a boost with the successful launching of the Guyana Chapter of the New Amsterdam Primary and Secondary School Football Foundation (NAPPS), at a simple, ceremony at the Fordy’s Subletta Restaurant, Hangout and Bar, at the junction of Winkle Road and Tucber Park, New Amsterdam.
At the ceremony Secretary/Treasurer of the USA Chapter, Marcia Paul-Ross was introduced to the gathering by Secretary/Treasurer of the Guyana Chapter, Petra Forde.

Coaches Neil Humphrey and Brian Ralph (left)- Micheal DeSouza and Sherwin Forde (right) and others pose with the equipment after recieving from Miss Marcia Paul Ross (right front row) top and Miss Petra Forde (centre).

Miss Ross in her speech enlightened the gathering, which included former Mayor and President of the Guyana Football Federation Errol Alphonso, school children and teachers, about NAPPS Foundation, its purpose, aims and objective and the philosophy of the organisation.
She said that the organisation is made up of the history making New Amsterdam/Canje 1970 School team that won the inter-school football competition during that year.
She said that their mission is a serious one, thus it includes the revival of football in Berbice and Guyana in general with the ultimate goal of enabling this country to participate in World Cup Football in the not too distant future.

For such a dream to be realised there is no better place to start than in the schools.
The group has planned a reunion called “The Reunion of the Champions of the Guyana Primary School tournament to be held in New Amsterdam, Berbice from August 7 -17, 2009.
One of the organisation’s main activities during the two weeks of celebration will be the hosting of the inaugural NAPPS Secondary School Football Tournament which will be called the The NAPSS 2009 Cup. The biennial event would involve eight high school teams from Berbice and will be staged August 8-15.
At the ceremony the schools targeted along with the respective coaches were announced. They are: coaches – New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary – Phillip Carrington, Berbice Educational Institute – Sherwin Forde, Berbice High – Neil Humphrey, Tutorial Academy High – Randy Sears, Vryman’s Erven Secondary – Colin Bowery, Canje Secondary and Brian Ralph. Two guest teams from Rosignol and Corriverton will be coached by Keith Ojeer and Michael DeSouza.

Each school received a number of balls, small goals, nets, cones, whistles and bibs.
A number of other activities have been planned for the week of celebrations, including an awards dinner and dance to be held at the Little Rock Suites. Also scheduled are two functions to be hosted by the local chapter – a family day and Barbecue at No. 63 beach and a feature football match between the NAPPS 1970 championship team and a rest combination.

The formulation of the foundation is the brain child of former national footballer Roger Alphonso. Roger is one of many brothers and other relatives of the Alphonso dynasty that represented Guyana at football, and other sporting disciplines both at the junior and senior levels.
The former national ball weaver and some of his siblings visited Guyana a few years ago and were appalled at the state of local football and facilities and upon his return to the US decided that he will act in a tangible way to his hometown.