Beach football has a future in Guyana – says Tappin

TIMES INT'L

Coordinator of competitions in the Guyana Beach Football Association (GBFA), Rollin Tappin, said that despite the Red Jaguars lost to Tobago Beach Football Club team in the International Series, he is upbeat about their future.

He pointed out that the players were impressive and showed that they have matured over the months.

However, according to the coordinator, they need to work harder on their finishing.

“They tackled the opposition and dribbled well but they were not so good in placing the ball in the goal. That department was where they fell down in the matches,” explained Tappin.

Rollin Tappin, GBFA competition coordinator

The Red Jags lost the three match series 2-1, as they went down 6-5 in the first game, 6-5 in the second, and won the third 7-3.

He stressed that the series was vital for the local boys as they had different opponents for a change. They learned new techniques as well, and recognised where they need to improve. He added that Guyana and other Caribbean countries aim to develop beach football and spread it as wide as possible.

As it relates to Guyana, the Association is working towards drawing teams out of Linden since at the moment the sport is played only in the mining town. Tappin claims that they are in the process of forming teams in Timehri and on the East Bank of Demerara, adding that they are also working towards forming a ground at Splashmins where the out-of- Linden players will train and play.

When asked about future plans for the sport, Tappin disclosed that there will be a senior tournament in August from which a team will be selected to represent Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago for a series among 19 teams from across the world in October.

He noted that the Association will widen the youth programme as well.

At the moment the youth programme just consists of a school tournament that is ongoing in Linden. Tappin stated that they want to expand and add a Grade Five Academy to it by August.

However, according to the coordinator, the Association lacks funds to formalise their plans. He claimed that they are in the process of meeting corporate sponsors and hope they would come on board.

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