K&S organisers claim GFF undermining national event
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
December 23, 2003
WITH the Guyana Football Federation barring Western Tigers from participating in the annual Christmas Football Festival, organiser Kashif & Shanghai (K&S) Organisation claim that the GFF is undermining the smooth running of the now national event.
The organisers called a press conference, yesterday, at Waterchris to state the position on the Western Tigers situation.
K&S director Kashif Mohamed reiterated that participation in the 14-year history of the tournament was always invitational and Western Tigers were brought in to replace Deacon Farm of Barbados who pulled out of the championship.
Silver Shattas, who were the only standby team named at the launch of the tournament, filled the slot left vacant when the other Barbadian team, Notre Dame, pulled out.
Mohamed disclosed that East Bank Demerara were mistakenly invited before Western Tigers, last year’s losing finalists and East Bank people threatened to take the organisers to court after they were informed it was mistake, ruling them completely out of the tournament.
Western Tigers then bought new gear for the tournament and were in the march past at the opening ceremony on Sunday, December 7.
But on December 13, the day before the first match of the tournament proper was scheduled, the GFF wrote to K&S informing them that the Tigers could not participate as a team. The General Council met the following day and decided to bar Western Tigers from the tournament.
Director Kashif Mohamed, secretary Colin Aaron and treasurer Troy Mendonca met with GFF president Colin Klass and general secretary George Rutherford on the issue.
According to Mohamed, the General Council having ruled, Rutherford suggested that the Tigers play under another name.
However, the GFF persisted that Western Tigers cannot play and K&S wrote to the national governing body on December 19 expressing “extreme disappointment and frustration” at the GFF decision.
The GFF replied the very day, stating: “The decision to exclude Western Tigers Football Club from the tournament has been taken by the highest decision-making forum in the GFF and we must respect the decision of that body whether we agree or disagree with it.”
Also, the GFF denied proposing that Western Tigers participate under a different name, saying instead that it was the K&S who made the proposal.
Mohamed pointed out that the GFF had made the decision before the General Council meeting and maintained that it was Rutherford who suggested the name change to circumvent going back to the General Council.
“This letter is totally untrue,” Mohamed declared.
But Western Tigers did play on Sunday at the Wales Community Centre ground, under the name, Kashif & Shanghai All Stars, and they whipped Uitvlugt All Stars, 4-2.
“That performance showed that they are worthy of being in the tournament. They possess some of the best players in the country,” Mohamed declared.
The game stood in limbo up to night, but GFF first vice-president Winston Callender gave the green light, according to Mohamed, saying the decision was wrong.
Mohamed disclosed that Klass contacted a referee and another GFF official instructing them that the match must not be played.
But Mohamed pointed out that Western Tigers had no disciplinary problem and the GFF invited them to play in the inaugural Futsal tournament, they were now competing in the city’s Under-15 tournament.
“We are seeing not an attack on Western Tigers, but to undermine the smooth running of the tournament. It is not healthy for the progress of the game,” Mohamed declared.
Mohamed said that should that situation arise then the team that Western Tigers beat would have to be brought back into the tournament.