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President Jagdeo promises house lots to ‘Golden Jags’ if they win qualifying Group
Guyana’s National Football team, ‘Golden Jaguars’ are to receive house lots from the Government of Guyana once they advance to the next round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The continuation of the first round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will see Guyana playing Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados National Football team were defeated 2-nil at the hands of the “Golden Jaguars” at Guyana National Stadium, Providence last Friday.
Government Rep Odinga Lumumba (seated centre) along with GFF President ag Franklin Wilson (2nd left) and PS Steve Ninvalle (3rd right) along with other GFF official and ‘Golden Jags’ members at the brunch at Water Chris Hotel yesterday.
In an interview with Alpha’s President, Odinga Lumumba, who hosted a brunch for the players at Water Chris Restaurant, Kaieteur Sport was informed that the thirty members of ‘Golden Jaguars’ football team are set to receive a sum of ten thousand dollars along with house lots each.
“If they win their division (Bermuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago), the Government of Guyana will give the thirty players house lots each, this is the President’s commitment,” Lumumba said.
Odinga also added that he will give the players a sum of ten thousand dollars if they qualify for the next round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
The Technical Director of ‘Golden Jaguars’, Jamaal Shabazz noted that Guyana need to put the necessaries in place, as more emphasis is required for the benefits of the athletes.
“Many times in the Caribbean we operate on a hit and miss situation, it may sound good by offering house and land but I prefer a long term methodical development of the athletes. If we put things in place the success will come, for success only comes when things are in place.”
He lamented, it is easy to marginalize the local Guyanese footballers since they are not in ‘Jackie Chan’s’ position …there must be a new approach from the GFF, GFA and the Government. We must analyze what is needed, for football in the Caribbean is not about holding an office and running a federation as we think.”
He importantly noted that the only reason we have a Football Federation is because of football on the field, “…my advice to the football officials is to track back from what is needed in the field to find the relevance to why we need a football federation.” “In future, we need a department within the federation that will take care of the needs of the players and officials.”
He further expressed his gratitude to the Government and Odinga Lumumba for making an opportunity of facilities available for the team to train.
Shabazz added, “Guyana is divided among the hierarchy of the football and the different arms of football will affect football on the field as the players will be unfit as there is no football going on in Georgetown.”
The Technical Director of ‘Golden Jaguars’ stressed that a collective effort is required to determine Guyana’s football future. “The day has come for the collective ways for the different groups to be part of the decision making and to decide the future of football… this is what I want to call Guyana to do…the way forward is a more collective and united approach,” he said. (Juanita Hooper)
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