AS a sign of his unwavering commitment to the development of sport, His Excellency, President Irfaan Ali, has officially donated the first and second place prize packages for the KFC Goodwill International Football Championship, which concluded yesterday.

The gesture totals US$4000, of which $2500 will be presented to the winner and $US1500 will be afforded to the runner-up.

The KFC Goodwill International Championship, which is in its fourth iteration, is an emerging Caribbean Schools Championship that features participation from Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. The primary aim of the event is to create and foster a student-athlete culture.

Steve Ninvalle, Director of Sports and head of the National Sports Commission (NSC), said, “I’m simply acting as a humble conduit for His Excellency President Irfaan Ali, who would have wanted to make this donation in his personal capacity but, unfortunately, due to his busy but necessary schedule, was unable to be here.”

He further said, “This donation is not an isolated event and is evidentiary of the government’s efforts in the development of sports and, by extension, the human capital of the nation. From infrastructural development and evolution to tournament support and coordination, President Ali’s administration has displayed an unprecedented and encompassing approach to the development of the sports ecosystem, which symbolises the method and modus operandi in the development of all sectors. Sports is a major part of the ‘One Guyana’ philosophy, as it provides a common denominator and unmatched value in the unification of its people. His Excellency President Irfaan Ali views this contribution as a significant step in the concretisation of a Guyanese initiative that has the capacity to not only transform the local landscape but the Caribbean region.”

Meanwhile, Petra Organisation Co-Director, Troy Mendonca, stated that he was grateful for the assistance provided by President Ali, which illustrates his commitment to the advancement of the sports sector, noting that any developmental partnership with the government should be embraced and that the entity will seek to continue the dialogue and maintain the partnership with the government in the effort to expand the competition.