By Rawle Toney
The 19th annual Kashif and Shanghai football tournament was officially launched yesterday in the Savannah Suite of the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel where the organisers announced the 16 teams that will participate in this year’s event.
Attending the launching was marketing and sales
representative of Banks DIH Carlton Joao who spoke on behalf of his company that has been with the tournament since the inception in 1989.
According to Joao, his company will once again sponsor the event under their Banks Beer brand.
Joao added that since Banks was known to be committed to excellence they were more than happy to continuously be part of what has now grown to become a tradition in Guyana.
The extent of Banks DIH’s sponsorship is not known but Joao said that it will be very substantial and far greater than last year’s. Caribbean Airlines is also part of this year’s event as one of the major sponsors. Marketing executive Kathy Shuffler Ten-Pow stated that being a part of this year’s event was like being a part of history since the event is to date one of the longest running events in Guyana that has helped to mould the sport of football in some way or the other.
The organisers revealed the 16 teams which will participate in the event this year.
One team from Trinidad and Tobago’s Super League which is just below the island’s Professional league will be making its way into the tournament. K-Brans Sports and Cultural club football team will become only the fourth team from Trinidad to compete in the tournament.
The other teams Rusal, Blueberry Hill United, Bakewell Topp XX, Eagles United and Milerock FC all of Linden.
From Georgetown there are defending champions Alpha United, Sunburst Camptown, Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Fruta Conquerors, Pele and BK International Western Tigers.
There is one team from New Amsterdam
There will be one team coming from Lethem with the compliments of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Two teams will come from the East Coast of Demerara with Mahaica Determinators United along with the Bakewell Buxton Stars. The return of the event to the Buxton Community Centre ground is one of the highpoints of this year’s tournament since it was noted by co-organiser Kashif Muhammad that they were working closely with the Ministry of Sport which has been a strong advocate in having the tournament return there. Since 2003, the tournament was moved because of the unrest in the East Coast community.
“We had to move the tournament because parents and football players often complained that they don’t feel safe going there to play so we had to make a decision to move the tournament. “However, during a recent meeting with the sports minister Dr. Frank Anthony, we were asked to play some matches there,” said Muhammad.
He added that the ministry would be working along with the residents to have the fence fixed and it will be completed in time for the event.
Touching on government’s contribution, he said that so far the administration has committed to sponsoring the third prize which is $250,000 and they will also be sponsoring the Lethem team to this year’s competition.
Unlike the two previous years where the first prize money was $750,000, this year’s first place team will take home $1 million. The runners-up, $500,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $150,000.
In addition to those prizes, there will be fifteen additional individual and team awards.
Muhammad said that they will be meeting with President Bharatt Jagdeo who also plays a part in the tournament in one way or another.
The finals of this year’s Kashif and Shanghai tournament will be held at the National Stadium at Providence.
