CO-DIRECTOR of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation (K&$) and organiser of the inaugural Chico Elite Generation Next Championships, Kashif Muhammad, last Wednesday evening told Chronicle Sport, he is highly impressed with the level of performance from the teams competing in the tournament.Muhammad was at the time, enjoying the contest between Lodge Secondary School and Charlestown Secondary School along with his business partner Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major, Chief Education Officer Olata Sam, former president of BK Western Tigers Gordon Gilhuys and other invited guests, at the Georgetown Football Club ground.
“I must say we had a fantastic opening ceremony and today is our second day and I am very, very pleased with the level of football we are seeing… for today’s matches alone, we had an interesting first game which was decided through penalty kicks.
We saw some outstanding goalkeeping and I am sure that individual, whom I do not wish to name, will be selected for the All-Star squad, while at the moment we are witnessing another intense and interesting contest between two evenly balanced teams,” said Muhammad.
He added, “This game between Lodge and Charlestown is showing us more seasoned football players and tons of talent.
As a matter of fact, this game can even level out to some of the first division games in Georgetown and what they would normally look like, but that aside we are impressed with the level of play and we are satisfied with the support we have received so far.”
Alluding to the weather which they were experiencing earlier, Muhammad said it was fantastic and conducive for the playing of the game, whilst he complimented the Guyana Football Referees Council, for the fine conduct and display shown by their officials, adding that things are really beautiful for this young tournament.
Quizzed on if he felt his Organisation should have ran off a tournament of such nature before, Muhammad said, “That can be answered with both a yes and no. Our focus at that time was the senior level of football and we tried our best to see what we can do to uplift the Golden Jaguars and I think we did a splendid job.
“One of the main things is we were able to open doors for 55 players to leave these shores and play abroad, developing contacts internationally along the way. Then we met Jamaal Shabazz, who helped Guyana’s football climb up the ladder big time and that was another significant achievement in a beautiful way.”
He added, “We tend to forget during all this, the young level of football, even though we talked about it a lot. We did try to do something, but this (negotiations between K&S and GFF) came as a blessing in disguise, for even though things did not work out the way we wanted it to, but we are extremely happy.
“This is the level of football we are dealing with now and our aim is to develop it, so that it can better serve the Golden Jaguars. With that in mind, we had a very fruitful meeting with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders for competition at the younger level and we honestly think that if we really and sincerely need Guyana’s football to be sustained, we need to start with the youngsters.”
He alluded to the work that is being done by the Petra Organisation, as it relates to the playing of their Courts Pee-Wee and Milo Under-18, along with Digicel and their nation wide Inter-secondary School tournament and Scotia/Pepsi Football Academy, which is now being complemented by the K&S/ Chico Elite Generation Next Championships tournament.
However, he did mention that the K&S/ Chico Elite Generation Next Championships is not the tournament which will be used as the climax to the other youth tournaments, but the All-Star team playing against other teams from across the Caribbean, will be the one.
“I was not thinking about our tournament being the one in such a manner. We created the December period as the football period, giving the fans exciting football for the past 23 years and we definitely will be staying right here. It just so happens…its going to be good football with all the school tournaments being played, beginning from pretty early.
“We also have another plan wherein we will be doing a tournament in August. However, our climax is not really in December. We will have our tournament in December, but out of it, we will be selecting an All-Star team to represent Guyana against Suriname and St. Lucia next April, hence our climax is not now, but it will be in Easter when the international tournament is held,” said Muhammad.
Meanwhile, twice runners-up at the Digicel nationwide, Waramadong Secondary School, is presently undergoing rigorous training with the aim of making a huge and lasting impression, when they open their campaign for supremacy in the championships.
The team is schedule to be in Georgetown three days ahead of their December 21 engagement with North Georgetown Secondary who defeated Patentia Secondary on penalty kicks, following a 1-1 draw, thanks to the generosity of Bushy Park Sawmills and the Ministry of Sport.
Seeded second in this tournament to two times Digicel champions Wismar/Christianburg Secondary, whom they lost to in the 2012 and 2013 finals, Waramadong will be looking to avenge that defeat so as to start 2014 as the Secondary Schools champion team.
The tournament continues today with four matches being played at the Den Amstel and Mackenzie Sports Club ground respectively.
At the Den Amstel ground on the West Coast of Demerara, President’s College, who won the prize for Best Dressed School at the March Past, and Stewartville Secondary will meet in the first encounter at 14:00hrs.
In the second game, Annandale Secondary from the East Coast of Demerara will go head-to-head with Uitvlugt Secondary, in another East-meets-West encounter from 16:00hrs, while in Linden, the action will remain on schedule which will see from 16:00hrs, New Silvercity Secondary and Friendship Secondary colliding followed by the matchup between Mackenzie High and Queenstown Secondary at 18:00hrs.

The winners of the tournament which culminates on January 1, 2014 (New Year’s Day) at the Guyana National Stadium, will pocket a record G$1.2M with 75% going towards a project identified by the school, along with the Championship trophy and 25 replicas which will be on display throughout the tournament.

The second-, third- and fourth-placed finishers will receive $750 000, $500 000 and $250 000 respectively, with 75% going towards a project as well, while the second- and third-placed teams will be presented with silver and bronze medallions and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) will receive one laptop and a stint with a Trinidad and Tobago pro-team.

Admission for school children to all matches leading up to the semifinals is FREE and the K&S Organisation is asking that all schoolchildren who will be attending the matches, be on their best behaviour for they are being seen as an ambassador of their respective schools.
Written By Calvin Roberts