With the cutting of the cake to signify the opening of their season, telecommunications entity Digicel officially launched the fifth annual U18 National Secondary Schools football tournament yesterday at the Beterverwagting Secondary Auditorium. The tournament which will commence June 17, will feature more than 160 schools from across the 10 administrative regions of the nation competing in a knockout format.
Of the 10 regions, Georgetown will be divided into three sections which are East Coast of Demerara, Georgetown and the East Bank of Demerara. Similarly within the confines of Georgetown, that zone will be broken down into two divisions which are North and South zone.
With this format, there will be 12 regional champions that will battle for the national title, with the grand finale slated to be staged on August 12th at the National Stadium in Providence. Currently, Christianburg/Wismar are the defending champs after securing the trophy three consecutive years.
Representing Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry, newly appointed Director of Sports Christopher Jones, who delivered
the feature address, said that the newly elected government acknowledges the contribution made by the company through the event which develops not only the nation but also its young people.
He noted that the government encourages participants to take full advantage of the event, declaring that companies as Digicel should be commended for their efforts in staging such a grand tournament.
Jones further congratulated the company on the tournament while pledging government support of the championship in the future. Chairman of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalization Committee Clinton Urling during an address expressed gratitude to the entity on behalf of the federation, noting: “This is an example of what the corporate sector should doing.”
He pointed out that the company was committed to the development of football in the country and that the event is the largest football championship currently being staged on the nation’s footballing calendar.
According to Urling, the investment being made by Digicel annually to stage the event can’t be understated, proclaiming that the committee will always support the tournament as he congratulated them on ushering in their fifth consecutive year.
Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Kevin Kelly during an brief, animated address, said that the company was fully committed to Guyana and giving back to the country, noting that the main purpose of the tournament is to develop the sport locally.
