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President Ali meets football stakeholders
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali yesterday met with stakeholders of the ‘beautiful game’ at State House, according to an Office of the President release via the social network platform, Meta.
The meeting, attended by Guyana Football Federation (GFF) hierarchies, also had in attendance the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Kashif Muhammad and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, the Honourable Kwame McCoy.
According to information released, President Ali was updated on the plans for the development of football beyond the One Guyana President’s Cup and a committee was set up to explore further development of the country’s national team.
President Irfaan Ali (second from left) during his discussion with Ministers of Government and football stakeholders. (Office of the President photos)
On January 1, 2023, Region 4 hoisted the inaugural One Guyana President’s Cup trophy – a brainchild of President Ali and executed by the GFF and the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation.
President Irfaan Ali, prior had stated that the idea is to use football as part of his Government’s plan to integrate sports into national life.
“One Guyana is not only about unifying people, but it is also how do we bring together all dimensions of our society into building a One Guyana, one country, and sport is an important part of that,” President Ali said.
The One Guyana President’s Cup, according to the Commander-in-Chief, was also aimed at giving football stakeholders “the best possible chance at bringing the best pool of talent from across the country, so we can build a national formula, invest as much as we can in the vision of getting a Guyana team to the next world cup.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set for the USA, Mexico and Canada, will be an expanded version of football’s Holy Grail.
With FIFA moving from 32 teams in their current format to 48 teams, President Ali is hoping that Guyana can be one of the six nations representing CONCACAF at the tournament first held in 1930, and he’s ready to invest heavily.
“We’re going to spare no effort in putting all our energy, all our time and as many resources as we can, from the Government and from Corporate Guyana to give you the best possible opportunity to get to the next World Cup,” President Ali told the players and supporters at the start of the one-of-a-kind tournament last December.
President Irfaan Ali displaying his One Guyana President’s Cup winner’s trophy, which was done by the Brass Aluminium and Cast Iron Foundry Ltd. (Office of the President photos)
Encouraging the players to remove any doubts about seeing Guyana following Trinidad and Tobago (2006), Jamaica (1998), Cuba (1938) and Haiti (1978) as the teams from the Caribbean to play at the World Cup, President Ali said: “With the continued partnership between the Government, Corporate Guyana and the Guyana Football Federation, football will be the grand winner; that is what we want.”
Facilities, President Ali said, are being developed all across Guyana “so that footballers can have an even quality in terms of facilities you’ll have access to when you’re practising.”
President Ali said while the One Guyana President’s Cup is for a unique purpose, his Government is looking forward to working with all associations to help them achieve their goals.
In doing so, President Ali noted that the Government is on a massive drive to enhance existing facilities while establishing new facilities throughout Guyana, specifically aimed at increasing the player population and bringing quality sports amenities to each community.
The Sports sector has seen its largest allocation under President Ali’s administration, with the $4.3B allotted this year taking the total from 2021 – 2023 to $9B.
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