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Slingerz FC take lion’s share of WDFA League prizes
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur News – The West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) handed over its prizes to the winners of their recently-concluded STAG beer League, where Slingerz Football Club walked away with the lion’s share of the awards.
Slingerz FC celebrating after winning the WDFA 2022 League. (Rawle Toney photo).
Having dominated the league, Slingerz FC comfortably returned to the helm of the WDFA after making a return to a sport for the first time since 2015.
In fact, before moving on to join the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League where they were crowned the inaugural champions, Slingerz FC won back-to-back WDFA league titles in 2013 and 2014.
For winning the league title, Slingerz FC pocketed $600,000.
Slingerz FC’s Leo Lovell, who is also a member of the Golden Jaguars, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league, while his teammate, Deon Alfred won the most goals of the league award.
Vurlon Mills was named the best coach of the tournament. Belle West was named the most disciplined team.
Second place trophy went to Pouderoyen and Elite League club, Den Amstel settled for third.
Trevor Williams, WDFA president, thanked the clubs for showing their interest in the league and making it the most-attended league under the GFF.
The WDFA, especially on match days involving eventual winners Slingerz FC, saw attendance in the thousands, as ‘West Side’ fans swarmed the National Track and Field Centre to support.
Coach Vurlon Mills with the silverware picked up at the WDFA League presentation. (Rawle Toney photo)
“We’re grateful to the fans who showed up on game days and really helped to make this league a success. We owe a lot to the fans, the clubs and everyone who played their part in making the league a success,” Williams told the gathering of clubs and officials at Monday’s presentation ceremony.
Upon the club’s highly anticipated return in June, founder and president, Javed Ali, said they share an exciting prospect of the continued development of football in Guyana.
At the time of the club’s untimely departure from competitive football, they were the most talked about and decorated team in Guyana.
However, a rift between the club and the GFF which resulted in the national championships taking to the High Court over the expansion of the Elite League, saw them walking away from the sport.
Ali believes the future of football in Guyana requires the GFF and each club to make a maximum contribution and this relaunch is a testimony to his club’s commitment to do their part.
The Slingerz FC president said he sees the “Need for competition and the development of Guyana’s National (football) team, as it allows for professional players that are always ready for an international game.”
“Guyana’s football needs to reduce the dependents on the two professional teams, which are the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), to ensure that more players receive a monthly income, to dedicate their day-to-day activities to football,” Ali said.
He added that, “This will increase the pool of fit and ready players for the National Team, and reduce the risk of an overreliance on international players and part-time players.”
Up next for the WDFA, is a planned knockout tournament which is set for some time in November before the start of the GFF/Kashif and Shanghai year-End tournament.
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