President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde, speaking at the launch of the Referee’s Assistant Program (RAP) on Wednesday said the development of referees is an integral part of his executive plan, noting that too much emphasis has been placed “on the politics of the sport and that the executive committee will do all it can to bring the conversation to be about football”.

The program which will last the duration of five days is an avenue to improve the quality of officiating of football and is a partnership with the GFF and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

Dion Innis, Head of the Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC) said the current executive places referees in high regard, noting that the best days are still ahead for this aspect of the discipline.

He further challenged the officials to grasp and learn as much as possible during the period.

Peter Prendergast, FIFA Regional Development Officer/Technical Officer said Guyana was one of the first Member Associations to have the program, noting the main purpose is to improve the standard of the officials so that it links well with the other sections of the discipline.

According to Prendergast, his presence here is to share and show methods and new approaches that will be used to improve the ability to manage the game, adding that the course will delve into the new changes within the rules and regulations.

He further added that the modern game is constantly improving and as such, “preparation is a key component to the success of the referees on the field”.

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