AFTER seven weeks of exciting and enthralling preliminary action, the inaugural Powerade Inter- Ministry/Corporation seven-a-side football competition will heat up this Saturday night, when the semi-final matches will be contested at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground. Four teams, including tournament favourites John Fernandes Limited (JFL) who will go up against Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) – a team that was given the tag of dark horse in this tournament and the experienced Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), who will face J & S Electrical, will do battle for a place in next Saturday’s grand final.
Two exhibition games will precede the semi-finals with action set to kick off at 18:00hrs, while the first semifinal gets under way at 1930hrs and the second 45 minutes later.
According to the organiser of the tournament Mark Young, two exhibition games involving local stars of the calibre of Lennox Cush, Christopher Barnwell, Steve Ninvalle and Lugard Mohan among others, will precede the third-place playoff and the final next Saturday.
A top prize of $250 000 and a trophy will go to the champion team, while the runners-up will receive $175 000, third-place finishers $75 000 and fourth-place team will take home $25 000.
Apart from Banks DIH Limited under its Powerade drink brand, the competition has received corporate support from Hopkinson Mining, Ross Gas Station, Star Party Rentals, Talk is Cheap Internet Café, Money Gram, Ministry of Education, Giftland OfficeMax and the Agriculture and Sport ministries.
Meanwhile, the results from last Saturday’s quarterfinal matches show GNSC who lost to Republic Bank 3-2 in the first match, won the game after filing a protest which was upheld by the organisers.
Monique Lelan and Anthony McFarlane struck a double for Republic Bank in the 9th and 23rd, and 5th and 17th minutes of the contest respectively, while Jamal Cozier (14th) and Stellon David’s 22nd minute found the back of the net for GNSC.
Game 2 saw GRA defeat Bank of Guyana 4-1, with Lionel Grimes finding the back of the net twice for GRA in the 14th and 29th minutes, along with Kevin Archer (19th) and Selwyn Bailey’s first minute goal. Bank of Guyana’s lone goal came off the boot of Steve McLean in the 25th minute.
In the third game, JFL edged Ministry of Tourism 3-2, thanks to Jamal Joseph’s hat-trick which was struck in the 2nd, 4th and 16th minutes, even as Jermaine Softleigh and Jamal George found the back of the net for Ministry of Tourism in the 6th and 20th minute respectively.
Thanks to Carlos Grant’s 7th-minute goal which was scored from a wonderfully taken free kick, J & S Electrical were able to send the home team Banks DIH packing from the tournament with their 1-0 victory.