Although uncertainty surrounds the date for the staging of the constitutionally scheduled Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) election, its former President, Collis Gifth has not ruled out the possibility of running for the top post.
This was disclosed during an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday. According to Gifth, 40, “While it is not part of my immediate focus, I certainly would not rule out any possibilities simply because I believe I have a lot of ideas and clout that would be of great help to the development of the sport in the association.”
The UDFA was constitutionally scheduled to stage their electoral congress in 2018 but was unsuccessful in hosting the forum. Presently, the association is headed by GFF Executive Committee Member Terrence Mitchell. Efforts to contact Mitchell for a comment on a possible date for the UDFA elections proved futile.
Gifth further said, “To the best of my knowledge the election was last held in May of 2017 which meant that it was constitutionally due sometime in 2019. I’m not aware that any elections were held during that period within the association and what would have been the possible reason as to why it was not held.”
Asked about the status of football in the UDFA jurisdiction prior to the Covid-19 crisis, Gifth revealed, “Prior to the last end of year tournament, there was a knockout tournament that was hosted by a local businessman/promoter, and the UDFA league, but structurally there was not very much happening as far as I’m aware. The current President, Mr. Mitchell and I share a cordial relationship and on every engagement we would discuss football, and from what we’ve discussed it appears that there were plans for other programmes, but I guess the Corona pandemic had the final say.”
According to Gifth, while the current administration should be recognised in their attempts to develop sport within the association, much more can be done to uplift the overall quality given football’s historical significance and importance within the region.
He stated, “While I must give credit to the current UDFA administration for their efforts in managing football in the region, I honestly believe that there is so much more that could be done to elevate the sport, especially given the fact that Linden is already a marketplace for football, meaning that we already have an audience, a fan base and brand that is longing to be rediscovered, and while it may be remiss of me not to acknowledge that the association has its fair share of challenges, such as proper facilities and lack of sponsorship, I do believe that structurally we are lacking significantly.
Gifth further said, “The executive in my opinion is not firing on all cylinders, the current structure of our domestic league is outdated, and there is a need for a comprehensive developmental programme from grassroots to senior level. And mind you, this is just not me trying to criticize the administration, this is just me giving my honest opinion on what is needed to catalyze the association’s development, in fact I’ve personally shared these and other ideas with the president because I want to see football develop and I believe my ideas can help. The president I must say, has been very receptive to my ideas but there has been a lack of will to execute.”
However, the former Net-rockers FC President admitted that the current Covid-19 pandemic has wrought significant damage to the sporting landscape especially in the UDFA jurisdiction, adding that the lack of secure and controlled facilities and environments makes it unlikely for the restart of sport within the region for the foreseeable future.
He further elaborated, “I know that the Covid situation has caused further damage and major setbacks to football as it has done to many other sports disciplines especially here in Guyana. We don’t have the facilities and resources to have sports being played in bio safe environment, and so it is incumbent on us as a collective to develop smaller pocket programmes to keep our athletes active, with the Government playing a major role in cushioning the impact, and this is the reason why my organization have decided to host the Skill Thrill Freestyle Football Festival, a programme that could help to keep our players active while maintaining their fundamental skills. Rebranding, Rebuilding and Reigniting.”
