The third annual Scotia Bank/Pepsi schools football academy will attract more participants this year as Berbice and Linden have been added to the programme which kicks off today with an opening ceremony at the Ministry of Education pavilion on Carifesta Avenue at 12:30 hours
Colin Baker, Chairman of the Organising Committee and President of the Guyana Sports Development Foundation disclosed that schools in Berbice and Linden are included this year as the programme expands.
United States-based coaches’ instructor Stan Harmon will be in Guyana this week to conduct training courses for school coaches in Georgetown and the other two areas.
Coaches in Georgetown will be involved in sessions from today at the Ministry of Education pavilion while tomorrow Harmon will be in Berbice to conduct training for coaches in the ancient county at the New Amsterdam Prison services Sports Club.
Harmon will then travel to Linden on Thursday for similar sessions in the mining town at the Wisburg Secondary School ground in Wisroc.
Football administrator Lawrence “Sparrow” Griffith will be the coordinator of activities in Georgetown while Rollin Tappin will be in charge of Linden and Colin Bowry, the coordinator in Berbice.
Veteran sports administrator John C. Yates, of the US-based GSDF is expected to deliver remarks at today’s opening ceremony as well as representatives of the sponsors Scotia Bank and Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) Ministry of Education and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
Equipment will be donated to the participating schools at the three venues where the coaching courses will be held, Baker disclosed.
According to Baker, the next aspect of the programme will be the referees’ course to be held on March 4, while plans are in place for a goalkeepers’ coaching programme.
The tournament is scheduled to kick off on March 23.
Ten schools in Georgetown took part in the inaugural academy three years ago while 12 schools were featured last year.
North Georgetown were crowned girls’ champions while Lodge Secondary won the boys’ title in 2012.
