Branker takes the reins as new BFA general secretary

The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has a new man at the helm of its administrative operations. Seasoned sports administrator Nicholas Branker has been appointed general secretary of the island’s football governing body.

Branker, the former general manager of Automotive Art, officially assumed duties on October 1, taking over from Assistant General Secretary Christine Rock, who had been acting in the role.
He was formally introduced to the public during a media conference held today at the BFA’s Wildey Technical Centre.

Branker, who is also the manager of the senior men’s national volleyball team, told journalists: “I think football is not just a sport in Barbados. I think football is an opportunity to bring communities together, as you can see with the Prime Minister’s Cup where people are coming together to engage and unify the country.

“I think that football, especially through the women’s side, is one of the largest growing sports in the world and with FIFA giving the support that they do to the various member associations, I think that there is a huge opportunity for growth, but that growth can only come if we and all other stakeholders involved can come with one common goal and try to achieve to proceed and increase the level of professionalism.”

According to Branker, football on the island must be developed holistically—from grassroots to elite competition.

“I would like to see more players coming through the BFA programmes and moving on to playing professional football, that is one of my main goals for sure. I think that there is a great need for professional sports in Barbados and I think that there is a long way for us to go. But again, once all hands are on deck we can definitely push forward with corporate Barbados as well,” he said, adding that support is necessary from the public and private sector.

“Sponsorship will always be a key part of it, especially for places like Barbados, and that is why I said we need to get corporate Barbados involved to build out the brand of the BFA and the sport. I am ready and up for the task. I think that it is a challenging time for companies in Barbados around the globe and the sponsorship dollar is hard to come by but I think once we can show where they can see the benefit of being aligned with the BFA then we can move forward.”

BFA President Randy Harris endorsed Branker as the right man for the job with 300 applicants vying for the position.

“What made us look at him is while not being a direct football person, he really took the time to research the BFA and its parent bodies FIFA and CONCACAF. We are pretty positive that we have someone who can make a difference to football and its management in Barbados,” he said.

(BTAM)