Ardent sponsors of Guyana’s senior national football team, more popularly known as the Golden Jaguars, paid tribute to the team that won the inaugural Suriname Independence Cup last weekend in Paramaribo, Suriname, at a simple but meaningful reception at Duke Lodge on Thursday evening.
The Golden Jaguars played undefeated against the host, French Guiana and the Netherlands Antilles, winning all their games by a 1-0 score line and in the process they created history by winning Guyana’s only international title.
Guyana’s previous best showing at an international engagement was in the Caribbean Shell Tournament, now known as the Digicel Caribbean Championship, under then coach Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite in the 90s.
Ever since their launch in 2007, Digicel has been on board with the national senior side and intensified their contribution to the team during Guyana’s World Cup campaign.
According to Sherwin Campbell, the company’s representative, the team’s success bears fruit for his entity’s commitment to the sport and he offered words of congratulations on their behalf.
“You see with sports, it’s an ongoing process, it calls for an ongoing commitment because basically what happens is like in any other sport, they are times when they exceeded and there are times when they try too and don’t and that is where commitment comes in and we have been committed from the time we came onboard which is just after the launch so for us to see this kind of results, it just goes to see the fruits of our commitment just like the other sponsors of them,” Campbell said.
Meanwhile, Carlton Joao, Banks DIH’s Marketing Executive, described the Jaguars’ success as phenomenal, especially since they played away from home and being the team that was least expected to win by the fans, based on their track record in the Dutch-speaking country.
“We have invested in football for several decades, I should say, and this is a huge translation from investment to actual fruits …,” Joao said.
He noted also, “We are now seeing the guys transforming and actually winning a tournament and that’s what we want them to do and not only winning it puts them on the map individually and as a team and Guyana on the whole and we are extremely pleased to be part of it.”
But Chairman of the Private Sector Commission Gerry Gouveia while stating that he was proud of the team, expressed his dissatisfaction at the curt welcome which was given to them upon returning to Guyana with the historic silverware.
“I am quite disappointed that with the significance of this victory in Suriname, that this team could have gone over there and played undefeated beating three teams who were all ranked higher than them, that they did not come back home to a ceremonial welcome and to me, even here tonight (Thursday) I am very disappointed I didn’t see any dignitaries here to say congratulations to these young men, not even the sports minister you know,” the PSC boss stated.
Gouveia who has been keenly showing his interest in the development of sports lately believes that the corporate community should support football; a sport which he believes can do a lot for young people in Guyana.
He also feels that a closer relationship should be harnessed with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
“They are like 36,000 people playing football in Guyana. It is really a widespread sport and it presents an enormous opportunity, so I think that football needs a lot more help than you’re getting. I think you need to understand that the football federation is not an option; it is part of the international architecture of the world administration for football and for the game to move forward we have to work with the GFF,” Gouveia said
He said further, “. . . we have to respect the office holders and we have to work with them for the interest of the young people of Guyana and we have to be keeping our eyes on World Cup Football.”
President of the GFF Colin Klass while congratulating his team for a job well done, said that the WIN IN CONCACAF WITH CONCACAF Programme which was granted by CONCACAF and FIFA brought about the implementation of the national league and so the team was able to do well.
In the past, he noted, the GFF would have had to mobilize their players several weeks before but with the constant football being played, a week’s preparation was just all the coaching staff needed just to work on the technical aspects of their game.
