AT THE kick-off of the  GT&T  FastBall  football tournament last Saturday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony, before declaring the event officially open, told the fans gathered: “I am sure with the combination of what GT&T is doing here growing up at the community level and getting people to play football is going to help the game and help to identify talent around our country and this will in turn  lift the quality of football that we have in Guyana.
“So hats off to GT&T, they have done a marvellous job,” the Minister noted
Some 25 of the participating teams were involved in the march past,  led by the Linmine Drum Corps. The salute was taken by Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony and GT&T Chief Executive Officer Yog Mahadeo among the  other dignitaries.
Minister Anthony opined, “I am sure that this will not be the last fastball tournament. What we are going to be doing in partnership with GT&T, we want to look forward to next year when not only we will have 200 teams, but perhaps we can double it  with the assurance we have the capacity to do it. That’s the vision.”
“We want every community across Guyana to be playing FastBall and I am sure the CEO of GT&T will endorse this. Tonight we are here for a celebration.”
He said that all who had turned up were there to celebrate an innovation of football and he was sure it would be a historic event to remember.
He called on the players to have a high sense of discipline and to play the game in a disciplined manner, that they express their competitiveness, as he wished the best team win the tournament.
GT&T’s Chief Executive Officer  Yog Mahadeo declared that some $110M has been spent to develop two new exciting sport forms in cricket and football but added “it’s not about money”’
According to the GT&T boss “this game is going to roll across Guyana like 10/10 cricket and across the world. GT&T will go down together with 10/10 and fast ball in history like 10/10, and fast ball will become international.”
He said he was proud of the whole organisation which has put together the tournament including the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, the GT&T staff and others who have readily put their shoulders to the wheel to make this a success story.
The CEO made mention that  the football will embrace children and added “Let us all remember today because whatever  GT&T has done we are doing to align our company’s vision with a national vision. Our aim is to put Guyana first, so hats off and a warm loud round of applause to Guyana. A special thanks to Minister Dr Frank Anthony and his ministry and the Guyana Football Federation.”
Minister Dr Frank Anthony noted that “it seems that every time I come to Linden we are doing something important or historic. On this occasion we are here for a very historic launching of FastBall and we know the history of Linden, you having originated Mashramani. Then you did not stop there. Kashif and Shanghai started their tournament right here in Linden and now we have Fast-Ball rolling out from Linden and going to the rest of Guyana.
“So, you are assured that you have initiated ideas that could span across Guyana, gaining momentum and helping to bring change in our country.”
GFF General Secretary Noel Adonis told the audience that “tonight is a night of celebration in Linden. It is a time for celebration.
“The two things that have happened here in Linden are very significant and very important and in many ways related because we know that very often there is a clear relationship between what we do in the schools and then what we do in sport and other activities.
“It emphasises the need and how important a holistic development in our society (is) and wish to congratulate Linden on their achievement and accomplishments.
He said president of the GFF, Colin Klass, was out of the country on football-related activities since there is a transition taking place at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and CONCACAF for which Klass is a senior functionary.
However, he remarked that “What is happening here is reflecting one of the pillars of FIFA’s motto which says ‘Touch the World’ and that is what GT&T is doing with this Fastball.
It is touching every aspect of Guyana and the GFF is very supportive of it, and we readily decided to give it our blessings.”