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Exclusive: Kaieteur Sport raps former FIFA Normalization Committee Chairman Clinton Urling
A few months after ending his tenure with the GFF, Mr. Urling was accepted into the prestigious
Clinton Urling
Sports Management programme at Columbia University in New York where he recently completed a Master’s Degree in Sports Management. Kaieteur Sports (KS) caught up with the 38-year-old for a quick Q & A.
KS: Why did you decide to do a Masters in Sports Management?
CU: During my tenure with the GFF, I was exposed to the management of the sport of football both here and internationally and wanted to learn more on the intricacies involved in the management of large global sporting organisations and to bring those skills back to Guyana so as to one day contribute to the growth and development of sports throughout the country. No better place to learn this than at an Ivy League institution located in one of the biggest sporting cities in the world: New York City.
KS: You were instrumental in establishing the GFF’s Elite League, what is your take on the developments surrounding the league?
CU: I’m disappointed with what has taken place in respect to the league, in particular, with the dispute involving the four teams and the GFF and the subsequent expulsion of those teams from the league. The GFF in my opinion should have done whatever was necessary to ensure that the four aggrieved teams were retained for the second season of the league.
Arbitration was an option available to all the parties concerned and it’s unfortunate that it wasn’t utilized in this instance to bring about an optimal resolution. Instead of us heading into the start of a third and glorious season of the league, its status remains uncertain and we also have litigation from some of the aggrieved clubs against the GFF.
KS: During the launch of the league, you had said that the league was the “litmus test” for the GFF moving forward, has the GFF failed that test?
CU: Not sure they have failed completely, since we still had a second season, albeit shorter and diminished by the absence of the four clubs including the top two clubs in the country in Alpha and Slingerz. I am still hopeful that the GFF is reaching out to these clubs behind the scenes and that we can see them reintegrating into the fold for the commencement of the next season.
KS: How would you describe the Sports Management landscape in Guyana today?
CU: We have had several leaders of various sporting teams and organisations who have been at the helm for an extended period of time. Some have done an outstanding job with the resources available to get Guyana’s sports to where it is today. However, as we move forward and with more young people becoming qualified sports administrators, it is time they step up or the way is paved for them to assume the leadership mantle to bring a contemporary and modern perspective to the management of those organisations.
KS: Would you get involved?
CU: Yes, I definitely will. However, I have no current ambition to lead any organisation besides meeting with a few qualified sports managers on the possibility of forming a sporting institution that can teach and share their perspectives on sports management fundamentals to the current and future crop of leaders and administrators.
KS: Is there a time-line for this?
CU: No, not currently, but I will reach out shortly to a few persons to discuss the possibility.
KS: Any parting words?
CU: Guyana has the talent like a Jamaica and Trinidad to make a global impact on the sporting landscape and to bring immense fame and glory to both the athletes and the country as a whole. It would require a purposeful commitment from all stakeholders involved, including sporting organisations, athletes, government and the private sector to devise an actionable plan that would finally unleash the incredible and prodigious potential of our athletes.
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