.jpg)
TELECOMMUNICATION service provider Digicel (Guyana) Incorporated yesterday joined forces with beverage manufacturing giant Banks DIH and its PowerAde brand, to launch its third annual nationwide Secondary Schools Football Championships in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel. Present at the ceremony were Digicel’s Chief Executive Officer Gregory Dean, Marketing Director Jacqueline James, Chief Education Officer within the Ministry of Education Olata Sam, Director of Sport Neil Kumar, Banks DIH Sales and Marketing Director Carlton Joao and president of the Guyana Football Federation, Christopher Matthias. According to James, this year’s tournament, which saw 128 schools compete in the first year (2011), 152 last year and 140 so far this year including 20 new schools, is aimed at uniting team members in their respective communities.
“So far this year, we have received over 140 applications from schools and we hope to exceed the 152 schools from last year. So far, we have 20 new schools registering to be a part of the Digicel Schools Football Championships for 2013.”
James said her company has conducted quite a few seminars prior to the launching of the tournament, with the aim of making it a very competitive one, with coaches, teachers and even students who will be competing, participating in the respective courses.
“For this year’s championships, the referees’ seminar was held and conducted by Mr Roy McArthur from the Guyana Football Referees Council and also we had a two-day coaching session with teachers and coaches of the various schools, followed by an intensive coaching session for students who will be participating in this year’s championships.
Those students came from East and West Coast of Demerara, East and West Bank and of course Georgetown, covering a few hundred students who will be participating in this year’s championships and even some who will be competing in next year’s tournament,” said James.
According to James, the tournament is being hosted not only to provide competition for the students, but to develop the youths through their love for the game, even as they excel to develop and become national players.
“We also want to see the players excel and become national players. From our championship, we want to make sure our youths develop, we want to ensure that they see a way forward through their love of the sport, to know that, yes they can be national players and go on to represent Guyana’s national team.
“Through Digicel Schools Football Championships, we want to unite our team members, we want to unite our youths, we want to unite our family and we want to unite our community through this tournament, this year and onwards.”
In their brief remarks, both Kumar and Joao showered praise on the telecommunications service provider, moreso its Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope, who they say has been working assiduously with his team of members to make the tournament a success.
“This tournament gives me good memories. The former chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Ken DeAbreu told the former president of the GFF Colin Klass, that ‘you won’t get sponsorship unless you bring home the bacon’.”
He then started the Coca Cola Schools Football Championships and I can tell you that that tournament attracted over 140 schools annually and was the forerunner of the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) football team, with Guyana dominating Suriname and beating them badly and now I feel that this Digicel tournament will be the forerunner of the IGG tournament.”
He added, “I am quite certain that with this tournament being the forerunner, Guyana will dominate the IGG Games for the next few years … and I think that this is the very way to go, because schools within the community will get to compete, so let’s share our synergies and work together for the success of this tournament.”
Kumar said he is confident that the new GFF Administration, under the stewardship of Matthias would make sure that things go right with regard to the development of the sport, saying that accountability and transparency are needed for such to occur.
Joao expressed thanks on behalf of Banks DIH to Digicel for having his company on board with the tournament for the first time, saying it is one that augurs well and will continue to augur well for the sport of football in the future.
Matthias applauded Digicel for fulfilling their corporate duties in organising and sponsoring the tournament which is set to kick off on June 21 with matches across the 10 Regions of Guyana.
“Let me assure you, that the GFF will continue to support such noteworthy initiatives, as we ourselves seek to fulfil the mandate of FIFA, CONCACAF and our very own GFF Constitution, in establishing a National Developmental Structure, Policy and Programme in an environment of transparency and accountability, in the good governance of this beautiful game we all love so much – football.”
Sam said the Ministry of Education stands committed to this tournament and will continue to support Digicel in its endeavour to make the tournament a successful one in the years ahead. he challenged Matthias and his executives to charter the way forward for football in Guyana, starting with the Digicel tournament.
Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School are the defending champions, following their 5-2 victory over Waramadong Secondary in last year’s final and according to the school’s head coach Anthony Stephens, they are looking to become the first team to repeat as champions in this tournament.
“Thanks to Digicel for such a tournament that’s now being recognised as the premier league of schools football, as it brings together the 10 Regions of Guyana in football.”
“We know the competition will be at a very high level this year. Last year was no different, but only a few showed the tenacity to succeed, while this year several schools are training assiduously for the tournament and so are we, as we aim to become the first school to repeat as Digicel Schools Football champions.”
The uniforms which will be used by the respective Regional winners were on display by some students of schools who will be competing in this year’s tournament, along with the trophies for the respective winners.
“So far this year, we have received over 140 applications from schools and we hope to exceed the 152 schools from last year. So far, we have 20 new schools registering to be a part of the Digicel Schools Football Championships for 2013.”
James said her company has conducted quite a few seminars prior to the launching of the tournament, with the aim of making it a very competitive one, with coaches, teachers and even students who will be competing, participating in the respective courses.
“For this year’s championships, the referees’ seminar was held and conducted by Mr Roy McArthur from the Guyana Football Referees Council and also we had a two-day coaching session with teachers and coaches of the various schools, followed by an intensive coaching session for students who will be participating in this year’s championships.
Those students came from East and West Coast of Demerara, East and West Bank and of course Georgetown, covering a few hundred students who will be participating in this year’s championships and even some who will be competing in next year’s tournament,” said James.
According to James, the tournament is being hosted not only to provide competition for the students, but to develop the youths through their love for the game, even as they excel to develop and become national players.
“We also want to see the players excel and become national players. From our championship, we want to make sure our youths develop, we want to ensure that they see a way forward through their love of the sport, to know that, yes they can be national players and go on to represent Guyana’s national team.
“Through Digicel Schools Football Championships, we want to unite our team members, we want to unite our youths, we want to unite our family and we want to unite our community through this tournament, this year and onwards.”
In their brief remarks, both Kumar and Joao showered praise on the telecommunications service provider, moreso its Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope, who they say has been working assiduously with his team of members to make the tournament a success.
“This tournament gives me good memories. The former chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Ken DeAbreu told the former president of the GFF Colin Klass, that ‘you won’t get sponsorship unless you bring home the bacon’.”
He then started the Coca Cola Schools Football Championships and I can tell you that that tournament attracted over 140 schools annually and was the forerunner of the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) football team, with Guyana dominating Suriname and beating them badly and now I feel that this Digicel tournament will be the forerunner of the IGG tournament.”
He added, “I am quite certain that with this tournament being the forerunner, Guyana will dominate the IGG Games for the next few years … and I think that this is the very way to go, because schools within the community will get to compete, so let’s share our synergies and work together for the success of this tournament.”
Kumar said he is confident that the new GFF Administration, under the stewardship of Matthias would make sure that things go right with regard to the development of the sport, saying that accountability and transparency are needed for such to occur.
Joao expressed thanks on behalf of Banks DIH to Digicel for having his company on board with the tournament for the first time, saying it is one that augurs well and will continue to augur well for the sport of football in the future.
Matthias applauded Digicel for fulfilling their corporate duties in organising and sponsoring the tournament which is set to kick off on June 21 with matches across the 10 Regions of Guyana.
“Let me assure you, that the GFF will continue to support such noteworthy initiatives, as we ourselves seek to fulfil the mandate of FIFA, CONCACAF and our very own GFF Constitution, in establishing a National Developmental Structure, Policy and Programme in an environment of transparency and accountability, in the good governance of this beautiful game we all love so much – football.”
Sam said the Ministry of Education stands committed to this tournament and will continue to support Digicel in its endeavour to make the tournament a successful one in the years ahead. he challenged Matthias and his executives to charter the way forward for football in Guyana, starting with the Digicel tournament.
Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School are the defending champions, following their 5-2 victory over Waramadong Secondary in last year’s final and according to the school’s head coach Anthony Stephens, they are looking to become the first team to repeat as champions in this tournament.
“Thanks to Digicel for such a tournament that’s now being recognised as the premier league of schools football, as it brings together the 10 Regions of Guyana in football.”
“We know the competition will be at a very high level this year. Last year was no different, but only a few showed the tenacity to succeed, while this year several schools are training assiduously for the tournament and so are we, as we aim to become the first school to repeat as Digicel Schools Football champions.”
The uniforms which will be used by the respective Regional winners were on display by some students of schools who will be competing in this year’s tournament, along with the trophies for the respective winners.
