Speaker of the House of Assembly, Randy Horton was a guest speaker at the CONCACAF Sports Summit in the Cayman Islands on Tuesday.

Horton, a former Sports Minister and professional footballer for the New York Cosmos, spoke on the topic, ‘Football as an influential agent for positive change” where he highlighted significant periods of his career when football was a positive factor in people’s lives.

He mentioned Warwick Secondary School (now TN Tatem) where he was the principal, its proud students and the school’s motto “Vision Vigour Victory” and the Cosmos for whom he played in the North American Soccer League.

Horton also spoke of the long-term positive relationship between the Bermuda Government and the Bermuda Football Association.

Other speakers were FIFA president Blatter, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, former Trinidad footballer Dwight Yorke, Kieran Foley of Digicel, ex-professional goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and gala banquet speaker Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and who highlighted the role of FIFA in the fight againt apartheid when FIFA expelled South Africa from international football.

The summit took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Seven Mile Beach on Tuesday and was attended by a Bermuda Football Association delegation including president Larry Mussenden, General Secretary David Sabir and Player Development Committee chairman Mark Wade.

Invited guests included Minister of Sport, Wayne Scott, along with Ministers of Sports from the other CONCACAF countries.

Minister Scott was able to attend all the sessions and meet the leaders of FIFA and CONCACAF as well as the Ministers of Sports from the various countries. He was able to hear first hand of the amount of development resources invested in football, youth development and of the need for government participation.

In addition to the Tuesday summit, the BFA delegation attended working sessions on Monday and Wednesday in relation to the continued development of football in the region, the various programmes provided to member associations and other issues including the following:

• New regulations for FIFA programmes

• The need for technical directors and technical structures

• Integrity in football

• The fight against racism and discrimination

•W omen’s football development, including a girl’s grassroots programme and;

• Communication of football matters to the media and using different media and social media.

The BFA officials along with colleagues from other countries made presentations as follows:

Mark Wade on beach soccer; David Sabir on communication between member countries and Larry Mussenden on strategic planning.

Mussenden stated: “The BFA was absolutely thrilled that Minister Scott could attend the summit to represent the Bermuda Government and to get a first hand understanding of our worldwide commitment and mandate to developing young people through football. The BFA looks forward to working with the Minister on a positive and exciting way forward for football and our youth as well as to continued work by the BFA Executive Committee and the Clubs to develop football.”