WITH a view towards further strengthening football in Guyana, the Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Organisation yesterday launched their 23rd annual football tournament, which will be an all-Guyana affair, as no foreign team has been invited to participate.Jamaican reggae dancehall artiste Mavado will headline the tournament’s New Year’s Day concert at the Guyana National Stadium on January 1, 2013, the same venue for the final of the tournament which will have matches played at various community grounds.

“This year, the event will seek to connect more with its traditional supporters through the staging of more matches at various community grounds, such as Uitvlugt, Beterverwagting and Buxton, a ground we are particularly pleased to return to, following a period of absence,” said Greg ‘Kashif’ Muhammad.
Muhammad told his audience, which included Demerara Distillers Limited’s Alexis Langhorne, acting president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Franklyn Wilson, Ansa McAl’s Nigel Worrell and John Maikoo, each participating team will receive a complete playing uniform.
“Followers of the K&S Tournament will be aware of the historic contribution the event has made to the growth and development of the game in Guyana. By the same token, our supporters and the football community as a whole will be aware of the destabilising challenges that confront local football at this time. Indeed, our own tournament has not remained unaffected by those events.”
Muhammad said the tournament’s first prize will be a whopping G$4M and a lien trophy, with the second-, third- and fourth-placed finishers taking home G$1M, $750 000 and $500 000 respectively, while the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) will drive away with a motor car and the best coach, a motorcycle. The tournament will be played under the rules of the GFF.
“Even in the midst of the present unwholesome climate, the K&S Organisation has taken a decision that it will stand by its supporters and by the game as a whole, by pressing ahead with the 23rd tournament.
“We do so even as we issue yet another appeal to the protagonists in the current controversy to bring an end to the counterproductive posturing that is doing Guyana’s football no good. We wish to pay tribute to our sponsors who continue to invest in the noble objectives of our tournament despite the fact that football as a whole faces turbulent times,” stated Muhammad.
He added, “Those officials, fans and players who have been associated with the K&S tournament over the years, would be aware of the particular interest that we have shown in the participation of clubs from across the country and in the welfare of players.
“What now appears to prevail is a senseless flexing of muscles that is bound to kill the game. In this context, we wish to state that we remain ready, if called upon, to help contribute to a resolution of the current impasse.”
According to Muhammad, the K&S Organisation tried its best to resolve the impasse between the GFF and the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), all to no avail, as the powers that be, seemed not to be interested in coming to a compromise.
“The K&S Organisation is looking to take the tournament to another level, one that is similar to the World Cup but with Georgetown having the block of football clubs, such would not become a reality unless the impasse between the two sides is solved,” said Muhammad.
He said the 10 teams that have competed in the GFF Super League, has already been selected and they are: Guyana’s number one team Alpha United, Pele Football Club and BK International Western Tigers, Victoria Kings and Seawall United among others.
Commenting on his Organisation’s decision not to include any foreign team for this year’s tournament, taking it back to the days of yore, Muhammad said, “We don’t wish to risk giving away G$4M to an international team, whose composition would be far more experienced than any local team.
Added to that, not much football has been played in Guyana, more so Georgetown and we are looking to give local footballers, a chance to showcase their talent among their peers, while we will only be inviting teams that are legitimate with the GFF.”
In his brief remarks, Wilson lauded the K&S Organisation for the dynamic work the organisers have been doing on the local football scene over the years, adding that the goal post will not be shifted and the status quo remains the same with regard to those teams who have been invited to participate in the tournament.
According to Wilson, if he had the power to do it, the present impasse between the GFF and GFA would have long been over, adding that FIFA is studying the matter since he held talks with a few of their executives, during his visit to Zurich.
Worrell said his company is not interested in the impasse that is currently taking place in local football, but rather looking to further develop the game and the communities it is played in, hence they will be continuing with the ‘Crown your Community’ project once again, through their Stag Beer brand.
According to Worrell, the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, which won the right to a makeover from last year’s inaugural ‘Crown your Community’ competition, has been undergoing rehabilitation works and same should be over within the next two weeks, in time for this year’s K&S tournament.
Langhorne was brief and to the point, stating that her company is pleased to be associated with the country’s most anticipated football tournament once again, while they will be using the Gatorade brand of drink to rehydrate the players during and after each fixture.
In addition to the 23rd edition of the tournament, the K&S Organisation will be hosting an Under-13 tournament during the month of December at the Georgetown Football Club ground, with the teams being identified at a later date – an initiative that received the blessings of the GFF, through Wilson.
The 23rd edition of the K&S tournament will kick off on December 16, with the teams and venues being named at a later date, while long-serving sponsor Mohammed’s Enterprise, Cell Phone Shack, Arowai Enterprise and Auto Fashions have renewed their commitment towards making this year’s tournament a success.