By Rawle Toney
“Twenty long years, you know it’s unbelievable because when me and Shanghai started this tournament, we never think of it to be like this ever, so to live and see the Kashif and Shanghai tournament becoming 20 years old is just great,” said Kashif Muhammad in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday.
The Kashif and Shanghai organisation is preparing to usher in the 20th edition of its annual football extravaganza in December.
The tournament, which started in 1990 with just four teams, will have 20 teams participating this year to commemorate the two decades of existence.
Muhammad said that they have sustained the tournament for 20 years because of the excellent relationship between himself and partner Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major.
And he pointed out that local beverage giants Banks DIH and Nazir Mohamed, of Mohamed Enterprises, were the first two businesses to support the competition.
“I can never stop thanking those guys because I can remember from our very first tournament Banks was there… then the next year, Nazir came on board and so it was like this and then me and Shanghai say `banna, we have to continue this’ and so we did,” said Muhammad.
But all wasn’t well for the longest running sport event in Guyana since, on a few occasions, the organizers had to face the stiff financial constraints that hit corporate Guyana.
Government support
It is no secret that the tournament over the years has been having the fullest support from the Government of Guyana whose president, Bharrat Jagdeo, personally sponsors the first prize.
“I think that apart from good corporate support, I believe that the good relationship we have with this government is also why we are still here. They started supporting us when they came into power and it was through them that we got the new lights at the Mackenzie Sports Club and did the fence, gate and so on,” the organization’s co-director said.
Muhammad added that the government has already confirmed their support for the tournament this year but he stopped short of letting the cat out the bag as it relates to the magnitude of their support.
Moving from MSC ground
Meanwhile, during the interview it was confirmed that last year was by far the most controversial for the organisers since they had to work in the face of growing criticism when they moved the final of the tournament from the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground to the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
The Kashif and Shanghai tournament is said to provide the bauxite mining community with an increase in revenue whenever it is hosted there but last year the organisation said that the event had outgrown the MSC ground and they also had to offer players a better surface to play on.
“We were able to do something we never thought could have happened and that was overflow the stadium with people. It was really a sight and not only that, I think we gave our sponsors value for their money because those who never went to Linden came out in their numbers at the stadium. And also we gave back something to our fans by adding a massive concert.”
It was also stated that regardless of how much the tournament is reshuffled, the Boxing Day (December 26) event will always be held in Linden because of the significance it holds for the organisation.
“Boxing Day is when it all began so, no matter what, we will always play that day in Linden. It’s too important to us, actually that is when we will officially be 20 years old. Think about it, that’s a long time. And it’s been six years now since we are in St Lucia as well… then next year March we going to do the same in St Maarten. So we are here to stay,” Muhammad stated confidently.
The tournament had been dubbed an all Linden team line-up until 1993 when the organisers decided to introduce Georgetown teams. In 1998, Doc’s Khelwalaas, a former Trinidad and Tobago semi-pro team which had a core of Guyanese players was the first overseas team to participate and they won by defeating Victoria Kings 2-1 in the final.
Another T&T team to win was Joe Public in 2006 when they beat Bakewell Topp XX 1-0 with Abassy McPherson being named the MVP.
But in the history of the tournament, Topp XX remains the most decorated team, winning an unprecedented five titles. Their last title triumph was in 2005/2006 but they played in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 finals which were won by Alpha United.
The tournament’s defending champions are Pele who edged Camptown 1-0 at the Providence Stadium on January 1 this year.
Though the organisers did not disclose the names of the 20 participating teams, it was indicated that it would be an all-local cast once again.
