THE annual Mayor Hamilton Green’s birth anniversary seven-a-side football tournament has reached the round of 16 stage which starts on Sunday at the Victoria ground, East Coast Demerara.The tournament, which is being coordinated by the Mayor’s close friend and former national player and coach, Lennox `Mullen’ Arthur, has seen 16 of the 32 registered teams eliminated in the two days of competition so far.
Four matches are set for Sunday at the East Coast Demerara venue and another four will be played on Wednesday at a venue to be announced.
Arthur told Chronicle Sport Banks DIH Limited’s Outdoor Manager Mortimer Stewart, a former National footballer is making every effort to have next Wednesday’s games played at the Banks DIH Thirst Park ground.
On Sunday, however, the Victoria ground will come alive from 18:00hrs when Buxton Youth Developers face Lima Dam in the opening fixture.
Home side Victoria will come up against New Amsterdam 30 minutes later.
Match three brings together Ann’s Grove and Haslington, while the final match of the evening will see Golden Grove tackle Mahaica.
When the tournament opened last Sunday Victoria defeated Diamond by a 4-1 margin, Lima Dam edged Kuru Kururu 1-0 and Buxton Youth Developers won by a similar margin against Plaisance.
Mahaica trounced BV Triumph 4-0, Agricola beat Paradise 2-0, Kitty registered a 2-0 win against Herstelling and Haslington edged South Sophia in a penalty shoot-out.
On Tuesday, matches were played at the Den Amstel ground, West Coast Demerara and Stewartville, Pouderoyen, Uitvlugt and Den Amstel registered 2-0 victories against Bagotville, Wales, Sara Lodge and North Sophia respectively.
The other fixture on that card was one between New Amsterdam and De Kinderen and the former came out victorious by a 4-0 margin.
The winning team in the final will receive $200 000 and the John Fernandes trophy, while the runners-up will collect $100 000 and a trophy, compliments of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
The team finishing third will be rewarded with $70 000 and a trophy, compliments of China Trading, while the fourth-place team will receive $30 000 and a trophy from The Business School.
Other sponsors of the tournament include: Banks DIH Limited, Beepat and Sons, C.B.R. Mining, MACORP, Guyana Beverages Limited, GUYOIL, Winston Rambarran, Vincent Thakur, Nigel Pile, Satar Gafoor, Crown Mining, Kennav H.D.L., Starr Computers, Nigel’s Supermarket, Hotel Princess Raven, Pavnic Press, GBTI and Ramchan Ragabeer. (Michael DaSilva)