Following the unfortunate loss of his scholarship at Eastern Florida State College due to the financial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Golden Jaguar international Curtez Kellman, says that he has received another full scholarship offer from Daytona State College.
This was disclosed by the central midfielder during an exclusive interview yesterday with Stabroek Sport. According to Kellman, the school had made an initial approach, after his full scholarship with Eastern Florida State College was terminated due to budgetary reasons.
Kellman, who was pursuing a diploma in Business Administration at the time of losing his studentship, declared, “Yes I am very happy with the scholarship offer, I just want to play again and complete my degree at the same which I will be very proud of. Based on my performances against them and due to my school budget finishing because of the Covid-19 situation, they have offered me a full scholarship. They know my abilities and how I play and that I can bring strength and quality to the squad.”
Kellman, 22, recently returned to local shores alongside several other Guyanese following an enforced 80-day stay in Miami, Florida. Kellman was unable to travel due to travel restrictions on Guyana’s national ports of entry.
He further revealed that Daytona State College was a rival within the Region #8 conference of the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA), and that the process of finalizing the full scholarship is almost completed as constant communication occurs between the academic institution and himself on a daily basis.
Kellman divulged, “The process is almost finished, as we are in the final stages of the paperwork and the school is finalizing from the NJCAA on whether the ongoing season will conclude and when the other season will start. At the moment the Covid-19 cases are rising and after the school receives that information, then I will know exactly the timeframe. As we speak, the process is almost completed.”
The former Georgetown Football Club (GFC) standout stated that while the change of scenery could provide a sporting challenge, he is prepared to work hard to achieve his athletic goals and objectives. He added, “It’s always a challenge heading to a new environment but I will work my way around that and try to gel in the new system to be able to achieve a solid season like the one I had previously at my old school.”
Kellman has been capped twice for the Golden Jaguars senior team, with his most recent cap occurring in 2017 against South Asian opponent Indonesia. He stated that his intention is to return to the national setup and become a major player for the foreseeable future, as he possesses the quality required to be a success at that level.
“My objective remains the same, once I am fit and focused I am certain I can become a major member of the team. I will work hard and show the coach my qualities,” he added.
