Gonsalves: Focus on preparation of youth teams

Speaking publicly for the first time following his re-election as President of the Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) one month ago, former national striker Everton “Batow” Gonsalves said his executive’s main focus at this time, is the preparation of three youth teams ahead of pending tournaments.
“We have three representational teams that are in serious preparations for three huge tournaments. We have the under-15 boys in the USA, we have the under-20 in the Dominican Republic and I think we have the under-17s in St Lucia and so that is where we are focusing as we are getting them through their paces and getting them ready represent the nation of Antigua & Barbuda very well,” he said.
Gonsalves, who is also president of the Villa Lions FC, said clubs and players taking part in the FA’s awards and presentation ceremony this year, can look forward to an event with a difference aims moves towards a more professional set up.
“We are looking to bring forward the awards ceremony also and looking at getting that out of the way quickly and even looking to formalise that rather than the normal setting we are looking to really formalising that. I want to thank my good friend, Harry Elvin, at Empire for suggesting so it might be a black tie affair in terms of the 2016/2017 ABFA awards,” the former player said.
Gonsalves renewed his executive’s pledge that within this four-year term, the focus will be on clubs and their improvement.
“We would have set out our agenda which includes the whole lot we would have mentioned in our campaign, that you can look for better and improved service coming out of the ABFA secretariat and we have some new plans jotted down for next week,” he said.
“We have been a little sidestepped by the funeral service for the late Captain Horace Burrell and the CFU finals coming up this weekend so we will have to postpone our deliberations,” he added.
Gonsalves was elected on 22 May, thereby earning a third consecutive four-year term in office.