THE East Coast, East Bank and Berbice Football Associations yesterday teamed up with distributing giant Ansa McAl to launch their Stag Beer Super 16 knock-out football tournament with kicks off this Sunday at the Number 5 Ground in West Berbice. 

Cougars Football Club will lock cleats with Soesdyke Falcons and Mahaica Determinators and Golden Stars from the East Coast are set to compete in the tournament’s opening matches in Berbice.
Six teams will represent the East Coast of Demerara, while East Bank and Berbice will send five teams each to the tournament.
Victoria Community Centre ground will host two days of matches in the tournament, the same for Number 5 Ground and Buxton Community Centre, while Grove will host one day’s action and the grand final and super concert billed for Blairmont ground in Berbice.
Marketing Director of Ansa McAl, Troy Cadogan, said that the tournament shows his company’s ever-long commitment to the sport of football in Guyana and the fact that under its Stag Beer brand, Ansa McAl has sponsored all the leagues played in Region 4 and on the West Side.
According to Cadogan, the idea of hosting a Stag Beer Champions League was in the pipeline, using the top teams from the East Coast, East Bank, Georgetown and West Demerara Football Association Stag Beer League but “things didn’t work out according to plan”.
Cadogan said $1.5M will be awarded to the winners; an upgrade of $500 000 from the proposed $1M first place prize that was presented by the competing associations.
“Second place $500 000, third $300,000 and fourth place $100,000 will be the prize money given by Ansa McAl. We (Ansa McAl) will also be giving a preparation fee of $50 000 to each of the 16 teams so they will have something in the ‘kitty’ before the tournament actually starts,” Cadogan pointed out.
Stag Beer Brand Manager John Maikoo saw yesterday’s tournament launch as “momentous” since it embodies all that the brand stands for and as such, stated how elated he was in playing a part in bringing joy to the participating teams and its players at this time of the year.
Chairman of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation Committee Clinton Urling said, “We (GFF Normalisation Committee) are happy that football is being played once again in Guyana and we are happy to facilitate the process.”
Urling sees the investment from Ansa McAl as important, stating that an injection of corporate support is key to the development of the game in Guyana, and the sustainability and longevity of the leagues/clubs/players.
The GFF Normalisation Chairman also mentioned the Committee’s plan to put together once again; an elite National team (Golden Jaguars) as Guyana begins preparation for the FIFA 2018 World Cup.
President of the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) Aubrey Hutson lauded Ansa McAl’s kindness in facilitating the process of inclusiveness of allowing everyone to be involved.
General Secretary of the East Bank football Association (EBFA) Franklin Wilson said that the tournament pays dividends to the teams who over the last year were competing among themselves and would give them all a chance to match their skills against other teams.

(By Rawle Toney)