FIFA chooses Barbados for talent development scheme

WORLD GOVERNING body of association football FIFA has partnered with the Barbados Football Association (BFA) to assist member clubs in developing their game through a Talent Development Scheme scheduled to begin next January.

Barbados is the only country selected from the Caribbean to be part of the five-year project, which will be funded by FIFA Forward, the organisation’s global football development programme.

FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer Kenny JeanMarie made the announcement after meeting recently with BFA’s president Randy Harris and other football officials.

The scheme will help member associations and their players achieve their full potential and close the disparity in the level of football between different regions of the world.

“We are really happy to be part of it and we think it would make a really big difference for our vision on the field of play,” Harris said.

“FIFA is also helping us, the BFA, with commercialising football and to help us with our administration in terms of ensuring that our strategic plan is carried out and that we can achieve what we set out to do in our vision going forward.”

The Talent Development Scheme was first implemented by former manager of English Premier League side Arsenal and FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger.