By Iva Wharton
Approximately 24 local teams should contest the Banks DIH sponsored end of year football tournament organized by the Georgetown Football Association (GFA).
GFA president Vernon Burnett in an interview with Stabroek Sport on Wednesday, said that he was not prepared to disclose the teams competing in the tournament just yet, but said the teams affiliated to the GFA along with several teams from other sub associations will be participating.
The winning team will receive four million dollars an increase of one million dollars from last year’s first prize while the second and third placed teams will receive two million and one million dollars respectively.
Asked to confirm whether a number of teams from the mining town of Linden will be participating in the tournament or if there are plans to run a parallel tournament alongside the Banks tournament to accommodate the Linden teams, Burnett said:“We do have some other clubs and associations who have expressed an interest but we will leave the specifics for later because we don’t want to prematurely say who is onboard and who will be a part of the Banks year end tournament. “Obviously everybody can’t be a part of it but we want to have as much teams that we can accommodate.”
Burnett said the GFA was still negotiating with the Linden Football Association. “We are still in talks with Linden and as you are aware Linden has no proper facility to play high quality intensity football right now and we have been open to them. We have said to them if you want to play football you could come and use our facilities in town and we will be very happy to accommodate you. So we have extended an invitation to Linden for them to come and use grounds in Georgetown to play their football if they so desire.”
Burnett was also asked whether there will be any international participation in the championship to this he said no.
“But definitely we want to bring teams from all parts of Guyana playing competition football because we want the tournament to be of a high quality. So if there teams in the North West, Lethem or on the Corentyne we would be happy to accommodate them or would be happy to have them be a part of our tournament once they are playing competitive football.”
Burnett said the tournament was not borne out of competition with the Kashif and Shanghai tournament.
“We are just trying to provide good quality football for our youngsters and that is what is important to us to develop the sport and to provide the highest level of competition. But we are not in the business of competing with anybody.”
The finals he said will definitely be on the January 1 and patrons will not have the headache of seating as all facilities being used by the GFA will have adequate seating.
“So you can rest assured we will have a good venue for the finals and all other games.”
