A curious fair-sized crowd gathered at the Christianburg Community Centre ground in Linden on Saturday last for the inaugural game of beach soccer when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) launched the sport in Guyana.
The lone game played saw Netrockers thrashing Winners Connection 11-3.
Ulric Beckles (4) and Ralston Fraser (3) were the primary scorers for Netrockers while Brian Joseph, Ray Fraser, Dellon Alberts and Rodrick Richards each netted once. For Winners Connection Rawl Gittens scored a double while the other goal came off the boot of Shevone Seafort.
The GFF intends to have the game played continuously with the possibility of starting a beach soccer league in July.
Guyana has become only the second country in the Caribbean to play the sport after Jamaica.
Attending the launching were President of the GFF Colin Klass; Garth Nelson, US-based GFF International Coordinator, who initiated the launching, and Lawrence Griffith, Competition Coordinator of the GFF.
In remarks to the players, Klass said that they are the pioneers of beach soccer in Guyana and he is pleased to be at the first kickoff. He urged them to continue playing and to learn the rules and remain committed.
Klass noted that this is the learning period and with practice and commitment they can only become better and Guyana will benefit. He said further that once the players react to the game positively, when the next CONCACAF tournament is scheduled Guyana will be represented.
Beach soccer originated in Brazil with the acrobatic football played on Brazilian beaches and the official rules were created in 1992. The game is played on a pitch which measures 28 x 37 metres and is made up of sand.
Five players are allowed on the sand per team at any one time. The game focuses on some of the most spectacular aspects of modern football: skill, agility and above all goals. The ball spends most of the time in the air and the players are forced to improvise with moments of awesome individual flair with overhead kicks and diving headers.
