By Kizan Brumell
The third annual Inter Guiana Club Football Championship Cup kicks off today at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, Bourda after the official launching of the tourney yesterday in the office of the Guyana Football Federation.
At 2pm, the number two seeded Guyanese team, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will take the field against Inter Moengotapoe of Suriname.
Then, at 4pm Guyana’s top team Alpha United will oppose the inaugural tournament champion Geldar of French Guiana.
In the simple ceremony attended by representatives of the four competing teams, president of the host federation (GFF) Colin Klass, stated that this collaborative effort with the two neighbouring countries was one way of improving the standard of football.
“Since the commencement of the tournament in 2008 in French Guiana and the second year in Suriname, I am impressed with the results because no matter who wins the tournament at the end of the day, football wins,” Klass said.
During his brief remarks he disclosed… “I hope as time goes by and we develop we can do more for the tournament by inviting other neighbouring countries to make this tournament a bigger and better one with extreme calibre.”
Klass added that plans to initiate a junior and women stage of this tournament to help in the development in those areas was being considered.
Representative of the defending champions Suriname, Peter Winter and president of the Geldar club Golitin were both on the appreciative side.
They thanked the local federation for hosting them and stated that they were optimistic of a great tournament which in turn will help improve their football.
Alpha United was represented by head coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover who assured that his team would be good representatives adding that they expected to mark their names down in the history books as the third team to win the tourney.
“I expect football to be the winner of this tournament at the end, but I also expect Alpha United to be the winner.”
Third vice president of the GDF team, Orin Porter, said that the GDF team supports the move of networking to develop football and also the move to introduce a junior and female aspect of the tournament for a better future for football.
Porter contradicted Dover by stating… “Indeed, I am sure about a tournament victory for Guyana, but I am certain it would be GDF because we are on top of the ball.”
The tournament continues on Friday at the same venue with Inter Moengotapoe facing Geldar at 2pm then the clash of the two local teams at 4pm.
The tournament will wrap up on Sunday with GDF going head-to-head with Geldar at 6pm while Alpha United will take on Inter Moengotapoe at 8pm.
