Blairmont Olympic qualifier - a resounding success
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
September 10, 2003
THE Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) decision to stage the first leg of the Olympic qualifying series between Guyana and Barbados at the Blairmont Community Centre ground on Sunday was a resounding success, matching the performance on the field.
People from all parts of the country converged for the historic staging of the first international football match at a venue, known more for hosting cricket, to witness Guyana rout Barbados 4-1, the greatest margin win for the country in an international competition in many years.
GFF president Colin Klass had announced at a press conference prior to the match that the move in staging the game at Blairmont was to spread the game.
“It would help in the development of football in Berbice,” Klass said.
The response was a tremendous turning out of fans who came from East Berbice, New Amsterdam, West Berbice, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown, East Bank Demerara, West Demerara, and even Bartica and Essequibo.
Both stands were already full when the supporting match pitting East Berbice against West Berbice, kicked off. Those who came after had to take squeeze or stand.
But the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation had already whetted the appetite of football fans for a good show at the venue when they staged the Christmas Football Festival on Christmas Day. The turnout again was overwhelming, yet the huge crowd did not pass the low fence to encroach on the field.
And no one less than Kashif & Shanghai director Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major was in charge of organising Sunday’s Olympic event, in his capacity as GFF Organising Secretary.
The proceedings went like clockwork, from the striking up of the FIFA Anthem for the marching on of the officials and team, led by the ball boys bearing the FIFA flag, to meeting of the teams, to playing the National Anthems of both countries, to photographing of the starting line-ups, to kicking off on time at 15:30 hrs.
The staging of the Blairmont Olympic qualifier staging was a tremendous success, both on the field of play and off.