FIFA Development Officer Keith Look Loy wrapped up a three-day visit to Guyana with a promise that football's world governing body will grant approval for the release of US$400,000 for the construction of a multi-purpose football training centre here.
However, to date it is not clear if the facility would be built on the land at the University of Guyana compound, set aside for the construction of the stadium.
At a press conference held, at the Guyana Football Federation headquarters yesterday, Look Loy said that it was agreed at a meeting with Minister of Youth Culture and Sport Gail Teixeira that the GFF should identify another plot of land if the proposed site at the University of Guyana compound is not available.
This is what it will look like: President of the Guyana Football Federation Colin Klass (second from left) and FIFA assistant referee Lawrence `Sparrow' Griffith display the plan for the training centre. At left is FIFA official Keith Look Loy while media consultant Kester Alves is third from left. (Photo by Lawrence Fanfair)
"There is no problem. Once I receive the documentation that we have agreed on, including a letter which states that the government of Guyana has agreed to provide land to the GFF, the project will be approved. It does not have to make reference to a specific piece of land," Look Loy said.
This Look Loy claimed, he had done before when trying seek approval for countries in the FIFA Goal programme.
"If everything works well we hope to begin construction in the middle of May," Look Loy said yesterday. "This would put us in a position to complete or approach the completion by the end of this year."
President of the GFF Colin Klass disclosed that despite his organisation's inability to secure a land title so far, there is a commitment from the government of Guyana that land would be made available for the training centre.
"That was the message that was conveyed to us by the Minister (of Sport), that the government is committed to making land available for the purpose of constructing this multi-purpose facility," Klass said.
Klass explained that whenever they have Government's pledge his organisation will be able to persuade Look Loy to put Guyana's proposal to FIFA for approval on March 4.
"While the site at the University compound has not been excluded, we have been asked to provide the university with some more detailed information. That, we are about to do. Because we no longer want to have all our eggs in one basket we have been advised by the Minister that we look for other alternatives," Klass declared.
The building of the training centre will be done in two phases.
Upon completion, the first phase will consist of two football fields, changing rooms for players and officials, a dormitory to house 24 persons, an office, a classroom and a pavilion to accommodate 3000 persons.
Phase two is expected to cost US$600,000 and would increase accommodation to between 7000 and 8000 persons. President of CONCACAF and FIFA vice president Austin Jack Warner, on a visit here last year, promised that he would seek sponsorship to realise phase two of the project. Guyana was earmarked to be in the pilot project initially along with Antigua and the Bahamas but was scratched off the list after a court injunction was filed against the executive of the GFF which was then banned by FIFA.
"Internal football politics took the GFF off the pilot list. The direct consequences of this was two fold. Guyana was deferred and is now coming on stream for approval more than a year later. Secondly the GFF automatically lost US$100,000 because had it been a pilot project it would have received US$500,000. We cannot afford to let bureaucracy and politics interfere with the movement of Guyana's football again." "If the construction of this facility exceeds US$400,000 the GFF has agreed that, out of other money provided by FIFA for normal operations, it will allocate the necessary amount that is needed to complete the budget," Look Loy said.
He added that he also met with the GFF general council, Minister Teixeira, representatives of the University of Guyana and architect Raul Jordon.
"I need to make it clear that at the end of the day FIFA is the client that will pay out the money to the company that will erect this facility. At the end of the day the owner and the organisation that will be in control of the facility is the GFF," the FIFA development officer stated.
"It will belong to the GFF and not to FIFA. FIFA has a direct interest in the GFF using the facility to generate an income so it can be maintained without reliance on further FIFA finances."
Look Loy added that the business sector needs to play an important part in the development of the sport.
"The business sector in Guyana also has a responsibility to invest in this project. The more young people playing football is the less young people climbing through your window or trying to get into your car. I honestly believe that if young people have a positive alternative to anti social activity then we will have less anti social activity."
During the press conference members of the media received copies of the plan of the training centre.