Tournament brought back optimism and hope

“That really bothered me every time.

“For me, I always prefer to look on the bright side and see where we can contribute or help to take the game and the players to another level. This means having a firm structure, encouraging academic excellence, making the much needed equipment more accessible and instilling the values of discipline and a positive approach towards a good career, and ultimately, a good life. With this kind of a mentality we’ll be putting our players and athletes in a position to succeed.

“I think the sport will improve and have a solid future after this little bumpy patch that the UDFA is going through. I commend the president of the GFF Mr. Wayne Forde for his unwavering support to put Guyana and Linden’s football back in its rightful place,” he added.

Enquired about the measures that will be instituted to build on the success of the championship, Hutson said, “The goal and challenge will always be to keep growing and improving this game and tournament. “This includes doing what’s best for the players, communities and the sponsors. Going this route could only add to our brand, which is still a work in progress.”

Hutson said he wanted to thank the various sponsors for their invaluable contribution to the event’s success.

“We really appreciated the journey during our preparations for this first tournament and we’ve learned so much during the ups and downs. We’re now in a much better position because we would have travelled this road already and now know what to expect, and, what is expected of us also.

A lot of our preparations for future tournaments will include the managers and some of the top players from the teams. We just want to make sure that we maintain an open mind and ear, and be easily accessible to accommodate some of their thoughts and ideas. We felt like this kind of two way communication is very important and these are the best persons to be hearing from.”