FITTINGLY, two-time champions Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) have been given the distinct privilege to kick off this year’s fourth edition of the Digicel Inter-Secondary School Football Championships, when they take on Linden Foundation at the Wisburg ground from 15:30hrs today.

Two other matches will be played today at the same time, with Queenstown Secondary matching skills with Freeburg Secondary at the Ministry of Education ground, while at Timehri, Supply Secondary and Xenon Academy will go head-to-head.
At the launching which took place two weeks ago in the auditorium of CWSS, Digicel’s Marketing Director Jacqueline James created quite a stir when she outlined the huge increase in bumper giveaways for this year’s tournament which will be played under the theme ‘Unite, Develop, Excel’.
According to James, the winners of this year’s tournament will collect $1M which will go towards a project within their school that will be beneficial to the students. Members of teams who reached the quarterfinals, including coaches and teachers, will all receive Smartphones.
For this year’s tournament, not only will the top-placed get an increase, but the second- third- and fourth-placed finishers are set to receive $600 000, $400 000 and $250 000, which will all go towards a project in the respective schools.
“In addition to the top place prize and trophy, this year we are instituting something new to all regional winners, who will be rewarded with a prize of $100 000 that will go towards a project in the school, even if they do not advance to the overall final.
Additionally, all teams making it to the quarterfinals, including the players, coach and teacher, will each pocket a Smartphone compliments of Digicel, so I am sure the students will be thrilled to be a part of the tournament this year, as they will have something for themselves coming out of the tournament,” stated James.
This year’s tournament sees a return of inaugural champions Government Technical Institute (GTI) and their nemesis Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC), even as the heavy presence of Waramadong, who finished as runners-up twice to CWSS, is noted.
Matches will be played at several venues across Guyana, including Moruca in Region One, Walton, Charity and New Opportunity Corps grounds in Region Two, St Cuthbert’s Mission and Timehri in Region Four, Kildonan in Region Six, Paramakatoi instead of Mahdia in Region Seven, Annai (Region 8) and Kwakwani in Region 10.
For Georgetown, three venues have been identified as central for this tournament which is looked forward to by footballers attending schools. They are Ministry of Education, Police Sports Club, Eve Leary and the Guyana Defence Force Camp Ayanganna grounds.
Playoffs will kick off tournament from July 18, while the quarterfinals will be played on July 21, the semifinals two days later and the third-place playoff and final will be contested on July 27 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Written By Calvin Roberts