– event expanded from previous iteration
The 5th edition of the Petra Organisation-coordinated ExxonMobil U-14 Football Championship, which will run from May 18th to June 29th, was officially launched yesterday at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Quamina Street.
The tournament will see an unprecedented 24 female teams and 32 male sides competing for cash prizes, which will go towards a school project of the winners’ choice. The 56 teams that will clash this year are a noticeable expansion from the 48 squads that took part in last year’s event.
The announcement was made by Petra Organisation’s co-director, Troy Mendonca, who also thanked the Ministry of Education for their approval of the tournament, which he noted has continued to grow steadily.
Meanwhile, Suzanne DeAbreu, the Community Relations Manager at ExxonMobil, reaffirmed the company’s support for the tournament, pointing out that sports help in all areas of life and noting that the thrust of development forged through the staging of the tournament aligns with the company’s corporate responsibility.
Approximately 41 schools from Regions #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, and #10 have expressed intentions to participate in the tournament, some fielding both male and female teams, while others will be represented in the male segment only.
The boy’s category will see the 32 teams divided into eight groups of fours for the round-robin stage, followed by the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and subsequent final. The girl’s segment will see the 24 teams broken into six groups of four, followed by the subsequent knockout phases. Waramuri of Region #1 won the girl’s title, while Bartica won the boy’s division.
The games will feature 40-minute games (20-minute halves), while the knockout phases of the tournament will see 50-minute games. In the knockout segment, if the scores are tied at full-time, the teams will head straight to penalty kicks; however, in the semi-finals and final, extra time will be added if there is a deadlock between sides followed by the penalty kicks. All matches will be staged at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.
The prize money pool has also increased this year and will see both males and females earning the same amount for their respective efforts.
The respective divisional winners will earn $400,000 towards a school project of their choosing plus the corresponding trophy, while the runners-up will receive $200,000, third-place $100,000, and fourth-place $75,000, all accompanied by their respective trophies. In a commendable move, Petra also announced that both male and female MVPs (Most Valuable Player) will receive trophies, football boots, and a year’s worth of educational support in the form of school supplies. Additionally, there will be accolades for the highest goal scorer, the best goalkeeper, and the most disciplined team.
Below is a list of the participating schools:
Georgetown (Region #4)
West Ruimveldt (Boy’s & Girl’s)
East Ruimveldt (Boy’s & Girl’s)
North Ruimveldt (Boy’s)
Institute of Academic Excellence (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Charlestown (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Dolphin (Boy’s)
New Central High (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Freeburg (Boy’s)
Brickdam (Boy’s)
The Bishops’ High School (Boy’s)
Chase’s Academic Foundation (Boy’s)
St. Stanislaus College (Boy’s)
St. Joseph’s High (Boy’s)
New Campbellville (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Marian Academy (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Carmel (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Tutorial High School (Boy’s)
St. Winifred’s (Boy’s)
Region #1
Waramuri Primary Top (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Santa Rosa (Boy’s)
Region #2
Charity (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Abram Zuil (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Region #3
Vreed-en-Hoop (Boy’s)
West Demerara (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Leonora (Boy’s)
Vergenoegen (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Patentia (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Region #4 (ECD, EBD)
President’s College (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Cummings Lodge (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Annandale (Boy’s)
Friendship (Boy’s)
Dora (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Ann’s Grove (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Region #5
Belladrum (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Bush Lot (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Region #6
New Amsterdam High (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Woodley Park (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Region #7
Bartica Secondary (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Three Mile (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Region #10
Mackenzie High School (Boy’s & Girl’s)
Wismar/Christianburg (Boy’s)
