Pres Ali and FIFA President Working Towards Installation of Mini Arenas in Guyana

(CMC)- President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali and FIFA president, Gianni Infantino recently held discussions centred around the installation of mini arenas in Guyana, particularly targeting hinterland communities.

The meeting included His Royal Highness, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Bin Faizal Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport, underscoring the high-level engagement on the initiative.

The push for mini-pitches is directly linked to the FIFA Arena Programme, a flagship global initiative aimed at establishing at least 1,000 new mini-pitches worldwide by the time of the FIFA Congress in 2031.

Its core mission prioritises underserved communities and schools, especially in disadvantaged urban and rural areas, by providing safe, accessible spaces for children to play, learn, and grow. Football is intended to catalyse inclusion, education, and positive change.

Earlier this month, Dr Ali confirmed his government’s support for developing and installing several mini pitches in Guyana next year as part of the FIFA Arena programme.

President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde has already announced a “transformational project” to install the first two state-of-the-art all-weather mini-pitches under the FIFA Arena Project.

The two pitches are to be laid at Haslington, earmarked for the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA), and at Retrieve, designated for Linden’s Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA).

According to Forde, the pitches, which are manufactured by Edel Grass BV of the Netherlands, have already been shipped and are scheduled to arrive in Guyana on December 3, 2025.

Each pitch costs US$98,000 (G$21 million).

A FIFA team and the manufacturer will handle the installation, testing, and commissioning of these initial facilities.

Subsequently, management, maintenance, and operations will fall under the respective regional associations, guided by clear GFF policies and regulations.