– eight schools from three regions to feature
Staying true to their theme of ‘Power to make a difference’, Republic Bank Limited Guyana (RBL) has thrown their support behind the fifth edition of the Petra Organisation’s U-18 Secondary Schools Football League, coming on board as the title sponsor of the event.
The disclosure was made at the official launch yesterday at the National Library in Georgetown.
The competition will see eight school teams, all chosen based on their performance in the Milo competition earlier this year, clash across matches to be played over the next seven weeks at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.
While five of the eight teams are Georgetown-based schools in East Ruimveldt, Dolphin Secondary, Chase’s Academic Foundation, South Ruimveldt, and West Ruimveldt, President’s College (East Coast Demerara), Bartica Secondary (Region #7), and Waramuri Primary Top (Region #1) will make representation for the ‘out of town’ fans.
Speaking at the launch, Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of Petra Organisation, expressed gratitude to RBL Guyana for sponsoring the tournament. He also acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport through the National Sports Commission.
He also noted that league-format football is where development is fostered, as teams have to show durability and mental fortitude to compete weekly against all the other teams. He also urged participants to be disciplined on and off the field and to have fun while playing the game.
Also present at the launch to address the gathering was Oral Rose, the Manager of Internal Audits at RBL. He revealed that as a sports enthusiast, there was a feeling of special privilege in the company being part of community and youth development through the sponsorship of the tournament. He also spoke about how football can foster positivity among the youth and the lasting impact that the tourney can have on the participants in terms of personal growth and development.
Meanwhile, the league will kick off on Sunday (October 27), with East Ruimveldt facing Bartica Secondary in the opening encounter. That match will be preceded by the opening ceremony and March Past, where one of the schools will pocket the tidy sum of $20,000 for winning that event.
The winners of the league will bag $300,000 towards a school project along with a trophy and medals, while the runners-up will receive $200,000, a trophy, and medals as well.
Third-place finishers will be compensated for their effort with $150,000 along with a trophy and medals. Additionally, there will be individual incentives with accolades for the highest goal scorer and best goalkeeper, while the most disciplined team will also be rewarded for their behaviour.
