THE East Bank Demerara Football Association Academy Training Centre (ATC) U13 Boys’ Team climbed to first place in Group A of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Inter-Academy Boys’ U13 Challenge Trophy last weekend, defeating rivals from the Bartica Football Association (BFA) in a close-fought 2-1 win.

West Demerara and Rupununi played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in Group A at Leonora on the same day, with two first-half goals from Rupununi’s Joseph Eusebio, which were cancelled out after the break, by Colin Frank-David and a Neyo Robinson own goal.

The final match of the weekend between Upper Demerara and Berbice in Group B at Wisburg Secondary School on October 31 was abandoned due to the inadequate preparation of the field of play, with Berbice awarded an automatic three points for the win as the away team.

The results mean that East Bank leapfrog Bartica at the top of Group A, while Berbice rise above Upper Demerara into third place in Group B, behind leaders Georgetown and second-placed East Coast Demerara.

The U13 boys’ tournament is part of the GFF’s ground-breaking ATC programme, the first of its kind in the Caribbean and launched in 2017.

The ATC is an elite and selective national youth development programme that gives girls and boys aged between 6 and 19 a weekly, structured training curriculum that is anchored in the GFF’s football philosophy and delivered consistently throughout the GFF’s nine regional associations.

The competition will see all nine associations field a team from their U13 ATC groups, alongside the National U17 Women’s Team participating as guests.

According to the GFF, the primary purpose of the tournament is to identify players to participate in the Caribbean Football Union Boys’ U14 Challenge Series in 2022.

On Saturday,Essequibo/Pomeroon take on West Demerara at 13:00hrs. at a venue to be confirmed, while Rupununi play Bartica from 15:00hrs at the Aranaputa Sports Ground.

On November 7, Georgetown will go up against Upper Demerara at a time to be confirmed.

A previously planned match between the East Coast and the National U17 Women’s Team, back from a historic bid to reach the 2022 CONCACAF Championship, will be rescheduled.