The 18th annual Mayor’s Cup knockout football tournament, scheduled to commence Friday, was officially launched at Mayor Hamilton Green’s Office City Hall yesterday. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the 20 competing clubs who will compete for two million dollars in prize money.
The tournament will be played at two venues inclusive of the Dem Amstel Ground and Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Grounds
The grand final will take place on March 31 at the GFC ground, Bourda.
Green, in opening proceedings avowed that sports have achieved an importance that it was previously not afforded and that it plays a major part in the building of a society as a whole.
“Sports in the whole have reached a point where it is more important than it was and that it can and indeed must play an important part in the construction of a good community. This tournament must not be treated as just another tournament but an effort to build our society and as a tool of advancement of our people.”
He further affirmed that the initiative was born in Georgetown but that over the years it has grown to involve teams and clubs from various constituents outside of the capital city.
“It was originally started in Georgetown but over time we realised that we needed to broaden our vistas so teams outside of Georgetown were invited to participate,” said the former Prime Minister.
Tournament coordinator Lennox Arthur, during brief closing remarks, revealed that the tournament opening games and first three fixture dates will be played at the Dem Amstel Ground before the tournament is moved to the GFC ground, Bourda.
While individual incentives are yet to be determined, the winning team will receive one million dollars while five hundred thousand dollars, three hundred thousand dollars and two hundred thousand dollars will be awarded to the runners up and third and fourth place finishers respectively. The tournament’s competing teams are Uitvlugt, Police, Den Amstel, Riddim Squad, Bakewell (Buxton) FC, Santos FC, B.V. Triumph, Georgetown Football Club (GFC), Stewartville, Guyana Defense Force FC (GFDFC), Slingers FC, North Rangers FC, Camptown, Golden Grove FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Mahaica, Alpha United, Pele FC, Seawall United and Western Tigers FC.
