The Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Organisation says it is committed to creating the perfect balance between sport and academics as it aims to help turn out cultured individuals.
It was speaking at an awards ceremony for the winners in the Chico’s Under-13 Football Tournament.
Soesdyke Primary School won the tournament and walked away with the championship trophy and other medals and prizes.
Co-director of the K&S Organisation, Kashif Mohammed said that the group’s objective is to create an environment for development. He noted that the players are the future of Guyana football and as such their talents must be honed and nurtured.
“We would like to thank our sponsors Chico as well as the Prime Minister Samuel Hinds for the patronage that was afforded to us in running this initiative.
It was our first venture at this platform and we are quite aware of the issues and setbacks that occurred.
Praise must be given to the teachers, parents and personnel that supported the event and that were responsible for their respective schools,” he said.
Mohammed also committed to working to remedy the concerns raised about the venture, as they expand the tournament.
He noted that the organisation aims to create cultured women and men and as such it intends to find the perfect equilibrium between sports and academics. Mohammed further noted that the K&S Organisation has contributed to the Golden Jaguars rise in the sport and it is committed to nurturing football talent.
In her address, Allison Rogers, of the Ministry of Education, thanked the organisers and sponsors for hosting the junior tournament while pointing out that academics are still important.
“I am very pleased at this initiative and must thank the Kashif and Shanghai organization for staging this enterprise. However, we must not lose sight of what is important, that is the academics and must strive to find that perfect balance between sport and studies,” she said.
Tournament Coordinator Lawrence “Sparrow” Griffith said the games were keenly contested and he envisioned that future editions will be bigger and better.
“From a competitive standpoint, the tournament was successful as the games were closely fought. The format which needs a little correcting will [be] rectified and we intend to educate the youngsters on the laws of the game as we take this project forward,” he said.
The formal proceedings concluded with the handing over of the respective prizes: four Promising Player Awards were presented to Kevin Padmore of Grove Primary; Troy Adams of BV/Quamina Primary; Tyrone Khan of Soesdyke Primary and Devonte Mars of West Ruimveldt Primary.
Kevin Marshall of the Soesdyke Primary also walked away with a laptop and plaque; his prize for being named the Golden Boot Winner (Highest Goal Scorer) of the tournament. Shaun Demonick of the Grove Primary was named the Best Goalkeeper and BV/Quamina Primary won the Outstanding School Team Award. They received two footballs.
Soesdyke’s Kevin Marshall and Grove Primary’s Shaun Demonick numbered among the players who won a bicycle after winning the Most Valuable Player Award. The MVPs from each team who received this award are Japheth Singh of the West Ruimveldt Primary; Omari Glasgow- of BV/Quamina Primary; Yamani Armstrong of Company Road Primary; female football player Tandy Smith of Uitvlugt Primary and Teon Forde of St. Gabriel Primary.
The Fourth Place Award comprising of medals and a trophy was presented to BV/Quamina Primary. The Third Place award comprising of medals and a trophy was presented to West Ruimveldt Primary and the Second Place award comprising of medals and a trophy was presented to Grove Primary.
Teachers from each school also received cellular phones, compliments of Cell Phone Shack.
