In the boardroom of the Guyana National Milling Company (NAMILCO) yesterday the 2nd annual Fruta Conquerors organized NAMILCO Football Festival knockout competition was officially launched in the presence of the Managing Director of the Milling Company Bert Sukhai and employees and members of the Fruta Conquerors (FC) and Guyana Football Federation (GFF). A $2M cheque was handed over to the football club to cover most of the necessities for the 15-match tourney where matches are to be contested at the Tucville playfield and the Providence National Stadium.
Marketing Manager of NAMILCO Bert Sukhai recalled in his brief remarks when he was approached by the Fruta Conqueror’s last year. “Last year when we were approached by the FC to sponsor the tournament we did so with a bit of apprehension but after we saw how well they organized the tournament and how it was smoothly run, we now without hesitation renew this year’s partnership with the Fruta Conqueror,” Sukhai said.
He further stated that the company had never invested this much money in one sport at once. NAMILCO has partnered in such sports as boxing, cycling and horse racing and the milling company has also given support to numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Fruta Conqueror’s president Marlan Cole and secretary Lavern Fraser Thomas thanked NAMILCO for coming onboard for the second consecutive year and assured them that this year’s competition would be conducted at a particularly high standard.
Meanwhile General Secretary of the GFF Noel Adonis stressed that the partnership that NAMILCO has developed with the Fruta Conquerors and the rest of the football fraternity was a good move not only for themselves but also the development of football in Guyana.
He also noted that such tournaments are important because they are the embryonic stages of grooming players for the national squad.
A total of 16 teams will be competing from Friday October 24 for the grand prize of $400,000 and the NAMILCO trophy while the runners-up will receive $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 for finishing second, third and fourth respectively.
Individual prizes for the Most Valuable Player, Highest Goal Scorer and Best Goal Keeper are also up for grabs. The teams are New Amsterdam United, Rosignol United and Monnederlust from Berbice, Buxton United, Bakewell Buxton Stars, BV/Triumph and Mahaica Determinators from the East Coast, Bakewell Top XX from Linden and nine teams from Georgetown – Georgetown Football Club, Alpha United, BK Int’l Western Tigers, Fruta Conquerors, Pele, Santos, Sunburst Camptown and Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
The action commences Friday at the Tucville playfield with Bakewell Buxton Stars challenging the GDF and New Amsterdam United going up against Pele with kick-off time at 6:00pm.
