3rd Inter Guiana Club Football Championship kicks off today

Aug 25, 2010 Sports

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GDF play Inter Moengotapoe; Alpha oppose Gelder

By Franklin Wilson
The Third Edition of the Inter Guiana Club Championship initiated by the respective Football bodies of Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname is set to kick off today at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Bourda with a double header.
The Technical staff for all four clubs has declared that they are confident of winning the Championship which was won by Gelder in the inaugural year in French Guiana with Suriname’s top side Inter Moengotapoe taking the championship last year when it was held in Suriname.
Alpha United, the top club in Guyana who has also been Guyana’s representative side at the two previous competitions will seek to make it right this time by following the two foreign clubs which ensured that championship remained in their respective countries.
Alpha’s Head Coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover did not hide his ambitions yesterday when the Guyana Football Federation hosted a press conference at its headquarters with representatives of the participating clubs.
But Dover was not the only confident official at the head table; Guyana Defence Force Lt. Com. Orin Porter was equally convinced that his side will lift the championship trophy, setting the scene for three days of exhilarating action.
Medical Officer of Inter Moengotapoe Antonius Ncigelbloem in brief remarks complimented the GFF for being fine hosts and he is hoping for a sellout crowd.   He reminded that his club is the number one in Suriname and they are close to the French Guiana border and they are sponsored by JAKO a European based company.
President of Gelder FC Daniel Thalmensy, speaking through an interpreter, thanked the President and members of the GFF for being good hosts noting that it was a pleasure being here to play against the host teams and Suriname.    Gelder he noted is from an area that has a population of 25,000 and three clubs. “We are here to enjoy football and we hope that in the future the three countries can work towards developing this tournament to the extent that it will be around for a long time. For us it is important to be here since we believe that the most important relationship is between us the people and getting to know each other better outside of football.”
Thalmensy said he hopes that the tournament would be a success and that it will be contested in a friendly atmosphere with football being the victor.
Lt. Commander Orin Porter who is also Vice President of the Guyana Defence Force FC highlighted that the tournament is another form of networking which is very important for the developing countries involved.
“We cannot only build out teams by playing in country but we have to step outside to enhance our performance and in doing so we recognize that they are challenges and this is one way the federation has been able to get around the challenges, not flying to bigger countries but cross border with the countries close to us.”
The winning team will pocket US1,500 and the Lien trophy for one (1) year, a permanent trophy replica and twenty five (25) gold medals. The runner-up will receive a permanent trophy and twenty five (25) silver medals. Awards will also be made to the third and fourth placed teams.
The playing days and fixtures:
Wednesday 25th August 2010
14:00hrs GDF v Inter Moengotapoe
16:00hrs Alpha United FC v Geldar de Kourou
Friday 27th August 2010
14:00hrs Geldar de Kourou  v Inter Moengotapoe
16:00hrs Alpha United v GDF
Sunday 29th August 2010
18:00hrs GDF v Geldar de Kourou
20:00hrs Alpha United v Inter Moengoetapoe

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Government to ‘tarmac’ Car Park Area at Providence Stadium

$104M project to commence Monday

By Sean Devers
Stadium Manager at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence Anthony Xavier told this newspaper earlier this year that he was pushing for an allocation of funds to develop the Car Park area at the East Bank venue into an all weather hard-court sports facility.
The former Government Minister had also said that he was in ‘talks’ with the Guyana Hockey Board for a proposed Hockey Field to be build just inside the North/Western area of the Stadium compound.

Xavier had lamented that inadequate funding was delaying the planned developmental programme at the Stadium, constructed in 2006 with a loan and a grant from the Indian Government for Guyana’s hosting of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
The infrastructural work at the Stadium was done by Indian Construction Shapoorji Pallonji and the first match to be played there was on February 16, 2006 when GCC played Young Warriors to test the readiness of the ground which was laid by Trinidad Company, Terra Firma.
Guyana’s Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony recently disclosed at a Parliamentary session that the Government had budgeted $184 Million for the Stadium and Xavier yesterday told Kaieteur Sport that work is scheduled to commence on Monday to put asphalt on the entire Car Park area in the Stadium compound.
Dipcon Engineering Ltd has been awarded the contract.  Making the entire Car Park area or ‘Outer Concourse area’ into a massive all weather hard-court, cost $104 Million and the project should be completed in three months.
A large part of that area is presently sand-filled and becomes slushy if it rains and large crowds congregate there to gain access to the inner part of the Stadium for sporting or Cultural events.
“When completed, the tarmac will be of tremendous benefit to the Stadium and to persons and Associations using the facility. Surveys should be done tomorrow (today) Thursday and Friday and the actual work should start on Monday” Xavier said.
“Right now that area is not used for anything parting from parking cars when they are events here and it is such a huge area. When the work is finish we can have all sorts of hard-court sports like Basketball, Volleyball, Lawn Tennis, Netball and so on played there. The Sports Ministry will be working along with the various Associations for them to mark out designated areas for their sports and youngsters in the area will be allowed to come in and play football and softball cricket once everything is done in an organized manner,” Xavier disclosed.
The Stadium Manager said that since there are lights available in the outer Concourse, sporting events could be contested there at nights and Concerts could also be held there instead of on the grass inside the ground since that area is even larger than the cricket ground.
The providence Stadium is one of the fastest drying International Cricket Stadiums in the World and Xavier expressed concern that the vibrations from the huge speakers at big concerns could damage the underground drainage pipes and wants to minimise concerts on the ground since it was first and foremost Guyana’s only International standard cricket venue and its condition could decide weather Guyana get International cricket.
“The ground and drainage is so good that even after thousands were dancing in pouring rain for hours during the Jam Zone concerts there was little or no damage to the ground and I am very satisfied with the condition of the ground after three consecutive nights of concerts,” Xavier informed.
Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago play two 20/20 matches at the Stadium on Saturday and Sunday and Xavier explained that the ground will be cut and rolled and apart from a few small brown areas there are no signs that massive crowds had attended concerts there last weekend.
“We have seen a few bad grass areas that came from people coming onto the ground with bad grass seeds on their shoes but that is really minor and the ground, which should be green again in a week or so looks in excellent condition. Two pitches for this weekend’s games are being prepared and the pitch area was roped off and I must commend the fans at the concerts for being very disciplined and cooperative and not a single person went onto the pitch area,” Xavier added.
The Stadium Head also said that taking everything, including the climatic conditions into account, he was satisfied with the overall condition of the facility after three years and stated that the Government is in the process of advertising for a company to do repairs to the three main stands, the gutters and the gates. $80 Million will be left after the completion of the Car Park project.
“Rusting has developed and chipping and re-painting with a special anti-rust paint will be done. Recently there have been more activities at the venue and once care is taken not to damage the ground, the more activities held here makes it easier for maintenance. When a venue is locked up and not used it is harder to maintain in the long run,” Xavier added.
“Everything is in place for this weekend’s matches and I am providing the Cricket Board with a clean Stadium. They are now responsible for their branding and such like. We are very proud of our outfield and we want to maintain those high standards,” the Government Official added.
Xavier said that plans are still in place for the Hockey Field and taking off the road humps from the road around the cricket ground inside the Stadium compound to have cycling events held there in the future to make the venue a true multi-purpose sporting facility.

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