AT A TIME when some football associations and even the governing body is clamouring to organise tournaments for financial gains, even as the sport seems to be dwindling away, the Petra Organisation, under the stewardship of Troy Mendonca and Marlon Cole, has been giving back tremendously.

For the year, these two dynamic gentlemen (former footballers and administrators), have successfully organised several tournaments including the now-famous Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ Futsal football tournament, two Pee Wee tournaments and several seminars to edify teachers on various topics.
Petra started the year 2014, with the hosting of their Milo Under-20 tournament in partnership with M. Beepat and Sons, which saw schools in Georgetown battle for supremacy, resulting in the defending champions St George’s being dethroned by Lodge Secondary in the final.
Such an exciting tournament set the tone for what was to follow next, the Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets” national championships, won by Queen Street-Tiger Bay, who went on to represent Guyana creditably in the Caribbean tournament, placing second to hosts Trinidad and Tobago.
Prior to that, it was the Petra Organisation in collaboration with beverage manufacturing giant Banks DIH, through its Guinness brand of products, which not only re-introduced the street Futsal tournament to Guyanese after a lengthy layoff, but also birth the idea of the Caribbean tournament.
In 2011, Back Circle won the first-ever Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ national championships and went on to represent Guyana in the Caribbean championships, playing unbeaten until the final when they went under to St Lucia, a team they had defeated in the preliminaries.
If one can recall the gathering of supporters who turned up every Saturday morning to witness the action in the COURTS Pee Wee Boys Under-11 tournament, being hosted by Petra at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground, it was indeed an amazing scenario.
Parents, guardians, teachers and even ardent football supporters thronged the sidelines shouting words of encouragement to the players, cheering on their favourite teams, drawing smiles from Mendonca, Cole and their hardworking staff of six, which includes two female teachers.
The speakers, who delivered brief remarks at the presentation ceremony which followed, further highlighted pleasure and satisfaction at the smooth and effective way in which the tournament was contested.
Yes, there were hiccups and who don’t have hiccups when they are hosting a tournament? But the professional handling by the duo made them minor -, a strong testament to their administrative skills.
Looking back at the just concluded Georgetown ‘Guinness Greatest of De Streets’ when the weather prevented play on specified days of action, many would have panicked and even postponed the remainder of the tournament.
But in a true professional manner, matches were not altered but rather played as per schedule with some teams being asked to do battle for supremacy two nights in a row and they did without a frown or any signs of complaint.
The response to that said tournament was so great that the organisers were forced to play a pre-qualifying tournament ahead of the actual tournament, so as to facilitate all the entrants, who readily agreed
However, for me the icing on the cake was the hosting of the inaugural Ministry of Health/Health 2000 (Guyana) Inc. /Ansa McAl Smalta Girls Under-11 Pee Wee competition, which saw Stella Maris emulate their male counterparts, by completing the historic double.
Interestingly, whenever one speaks of hosting a tournament, they always do so for male players, no one thinks of the opposite sex, unless it is netball, volleyball or to an extent basketball.
Petra did not only organise the tournament and throw the players onto the field just for the purpose of doing so, but they held a seminar with the teachers of the schools and some qualified coaches as tutors, to instruct them on the game before a ball was kicked.
And when the action kicked off, the excitement was at fever pitch in comparison to the male tournament, with instructions and words of encouragement coming from the sidelines.
Mendonca’s words at the presentation further underlined the feelings of joy from those at the venue.
Students from some schools shed tears when they lost and even after Stella Maris completed the victory over a tearful St Stephen’s Primary, Mendonca readily admitted that it drove him to tears as well.
It is time we recognise the efforts of those persons who have been doing yeoman services to the development of sports, hence I wish to make a plea to those who issue or recommend persons to be issued with national awards, to bestow on the Petra Organisation, a Medal of Service.