In what has become a customary activity, the Petra Organisation, coordinators of the ExxonMobil Boy’s and Girl’s U-14 Football Championship, donated footballs to the competing schools in an effort to aid their preparatory phase.
This simple but significant presentation occurred yesterday at the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue and Camp Street. The competing schools were presented with a football for each of their divisional teams. The tournament, which will now commence on May 25th due to the overwhelming support from respective schools, will be staged at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.
Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of the Petra Organisation, stated that he was inspired by the response from the competing schools and thanked the students and the teachers for their unwavering commitment to the programme.
Meanwhile, Towanna McAlmont, representative of the Allie Arts Department of the Ministry of Education, stated that the entity supports every sport in the school sector as it aids in creating rounded individuals, noting that the success of the event is highlighted in the development of the respective participants. 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. 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 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.
Meanwhile, 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.
