With the 10th edition of the Courts Pee Wee Football Championships penciled to commence Saturday, tournament coordinators, the Petra Organization, yesterday conducted the official team briefing and ball distribution exercises at the National Library, Church Road.
The team briefing featured several of the participating schools and centered on discussing the rules and regulations that will govern the tournament, which will be staged at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.
Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of the Petra Organization, acknowledged the important role played by the respective teachers, who make sacrifices that are at times not recognized, noting that the event has created a platform and foundation for players to enter the club level and eventually transition to the national team strata.
Similarly, Richard Simpson, Courts Optical Chain Manager, stated that the company, which is celebrating its 30-year residency in Guyana, has always played a major role in the development of the community, noting that the development of youths is a major focus of the entity’s corporate social responsibility.
He noted that the company is dedicated to the tournament and is eagerly anticipating the excitement that is associated with it.
Meanwhile, Marti De Souza, Deputy Chief Education Officer (Hinterland), stated that the launch of the tournament correlates with the staging of Education Month, which highlights the importance of sports and education players in the development of youth.
He stated that the Ministry of Education has crafted a policy that all students, following their departure from the school level, must have a competency in sport, and that this tournament targets the foundational level of this program.
De Souza thanked the teachers for their unwavering commitment to the success of the event and said that the Ministry of Education will continue to support the initiative.
Also, Deputy Director of Sport, Franklin Wilson praised the Petra Organization for their continued emphasis on youth development, as children are an important investment for the future, noting that the promotional entity has conceptualized and conducted tournaments at every conceivable age group and gender, which speaks volumes about the quality of the organization.
He said that the event has produced several notable players that have transitioned to the various levels of the national programme, with Darron Niles of Stella Maris being the most recent individual to don the colors of the Golden Jaguars senior ranks.
The 32-team event will commence on September 23rd. The grand finale will be on October 28th. All matches will be held at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown. The teams will be divided into eight groups of four, and the top two finishers from each section will advance to the elimination round. The respective losers in the knockout section will progress to the plate division to battle for positions 5–16.
Although the list of schools is yet to be finalized, the possible competing teams, which will emanate from Georgetown, Region #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, and #10, are: Amelia’s Ward, Ann’s Grove, Beterverwagting, Craig, Den Amstel, defending champion Enterprise, F.E. Pollard, Genesis, Grahams Hall, J.E. Burnham, Marian Academy, North Georgetown, One Mile, Potaro, Redeemer, School of the Nations, Smith’s Memorial, Soesdyke, Sophia, South Ruimveldt, St. Agnes, St. Ambrose, St. Angela’s, St. Margaret’s, St. Pius, St. Stephen’s, Timehri, Tucville, Victoria, Westminster, West Ruimveldt, and Winfer Gardens. The final list will be announced shortly.
The winner of the tournament will receive the championship trophy, gold medals, and a pair of uniforms. Each player will also be presented with an electronic tablet.
The runners-up will collect a trophy, silver medals, and six balls. The third-place finisher will pocket a trophy and four balls, while the fourth-place side will walk away with a trophy.
On the individual side, a trophy and a pair of football cleats will be presented to the eventual most valuable player, highest goal scorer, and best goalkeeper.
