The 2022 edition of the KFC Goodwill Football Championship, which is coordinated by the Petra Organization, was officially launched yesterday at the entity’s Vlissengen Road office, Georgetown.
The event, which will run from December 14th-23rd, will utilize an initial group stage, with the six competing schools being divided into two zones of three.
Group-A comprises newcomer St. Benedict College of Trinidad and Tobago, Golden Grove, and DC Caesar Fox [formerly Waramadong]. Group-B consists of GuyOil League winner, Christianburg/Wismar, Annai Secondary and SVB Academy of Suriname.
At the conclusion of the group round, the top two finishers in each pool will advance to the semi-final section. The competition is penciled to be staged at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.
Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of the Petra Organization, said, “The KFC Goodwill Football Tournament was conceptualized against the backdrop of exposing our top local school teams against teams from our sister countries especially those who have a very vibrant school programme, the main aim is to positively impact the players, and coaches and to enhance their performance on and off the field. We also see it as a programme to the back end of the cycle from under 11 to under 18’s.”
According to Mendonca, “It also aims to provide experience, inspire learning, and improve performance at an international level. We regret the absence of the two years due to Covid-19 but also we are happy to be alive here today to launch the third edition of the tournament.”
He further said, “Our vision clearly remains to have this event grow into a featured event among the Caribbean countries and so we are proud to have an international brand sharing the same vision with us in the KFC franchise and so we would like to commend the management of KFC and the Beharry Holdings for supporting the idea and rest assured our team will make every effort so that the company will get value for their investment. I take the opportunity to thank you KFC, thank you Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the Guyana Football Federation, and all the teams for accepting our invitation.”
Questioned if the intention is to expand the initiative to create a Caribbean School Championship, Mendonca disclosed that the overall aim is to create a school tournament specifically for the Caribbean region, noting that the possibility of shifting the tournament to the August period is being considered as it would allow for the availability of other nations.
Meanwhile, Pamela Manasseh, Marketing Manager of KFC, said that the tournament highlights the philosophy of the company which is to encourage and foster the development of sports, adding that the company is committed to supporting the programme for the foreseeable future.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Kashif Muhammad declared that the Petra Organization has created an amazing platform for school and youth development, adding that many national players have emanated from the Petra Organization model, a reality which could not have been achieved without the corporate support of entities such as KFC.
According to Muhammad, the Petra Organization are the leaders in youth football development specifically at the school level, noting that the event has the potential to evolve into a Caribbean Championship.
He further stated that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport as well as the NSC will continue to support programmes of a developmental nature and are committed to supporting the creation of a regional competition.
Kirk Braithwaite, Administrator of the Allied Arts Department of the Ministry of Education, said that the Petra Organization has once again placed the discipline of football especially at the school level on the front burner, adding that KFC should be commended for their continued support of the programme.
He noted that the event is an opportunity for local institutions to match wits against their regional counterparts, adding that the event has witnessed the transition of players to the national setup.
Keeran Williams, Communications Director of the Guyana Football Federation, stated that the development of sports cannot occur without partnerships from the corporate sector, adding that KFC must be commended for their continued support of such an important programme.
