GFF launches women’s development league
The Guyana Football Federation [GFF] in partnership with Ansa McAl under its Always brand, officially launched the National Women’s Football Development League on Friday. The event, which is programmed to feature 216 games, will be played across the 10 administrative regions from October 27th-March 2019. The federation is investing $10,000,000 for the successful staging of the tournament, which will be played in a seven-a-side format. Among the regions set to kick-off their league on October 27th are Region #1 at Kamaka, Region #2 at Anna Regina, Central and North Rupununi, Mahdia and Bartica. President Wayne Forde during remarks at the SleepIn Hotel Friday said: “Women’s football is unique in so many ways, because, the football world has discovered that ability to play the game exceptionally well is far-less important to women, but rather, just the opportunity, to have the opportunity to play and to have fair and equal access to the sport and it’s development, means so much more to women and to girls.” He added, “Every girl, every woman, who has the desire to play football, must be given an equal opportunity. It’s one of the key mandates of the GFF Executive Committee. This league will create a social messaging platform that we hope will allow us to speak to the issues that affect girls and women; but more importantly, open up new and fresh dialogue that will lead to solution.” Padma Kunjbeharry, Head of Ansa McAl’s Businesss Unit said, “We are happy with Always to be part of this league, as our tagline says, ‘Let’s rewrite the rule’ … It’s great to see that our women are being pushed in sports that are male-dominated or on male-dominated territory.” Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs and Patron of Women’s Football, Valerie GarridoLowe, stated that while the tournament is long overdue, she is pleased that women from the hinterland areas will be afforded the same opportunities as females from the coastland. She further committed the ministry’s full support to the successful staging of the competition.