The resurrection of football in the ancient county continues next week as the Corentyne All Stars Football Club in association with the Education Department, Berbice, will kick-off the Garrett Cup under-15 inter-secondary schools 2008 competition.
According to coordinator Vibert Garrett the competition will be launched on September 19.
The competition, he said, will be played in three zones – New Amsterdam (NA), Central Corentyne (CC) and Upper Corentyne (UC). In the first two games to be played on the 19th Siparuta will tackle Line Path while Orealla will take on Skeldon High in Group A and these games will be played in Skeldon.
Garrett added that this tournament is being used as a “stepping stone” to carry football to new “heights” in Berbice (Region 6). The growth of the sport is dependant upon this tournament as the interactions within the various teams drawn from the secondary schools in the region will be closely followed.
He noted that cricket so far appears to be the only medium where schoolchildren interact, apart from school sports, so this competition is being seen as offering an exciting challenge.
This competition in its infancy stage is being mooted to become an annual event and as such develop the game to a further level away from “street football”.
Additionally the executive committee of the Corentyne All Stars Football Club is holding discussions with ministry officials in the hope of introducing the game at a younger level, targeting the primary schools.
Garrett said that “once molded in their pre-teens they will take to the game better ‘like fish to water’ and have a keener interest in the game when they enter the secondary level.”
The one-month long competition will climax on October 17.
