4th ExxonMobil Futsal launched; $1.5M 1st-place prize up for grabs

The fourth edition of the ExxonMobil-New Era Futsal Championship was officially launched yesterday in the mining town of Linden.
The event, which will utilise an initial group stage format, will feature 13 teams divided into four pools. The top two teams at the end of the group stage will advance to the knockout rounds. All matches will be staged at the Retrieve Tarmac.
The competing teams are Fearless, Silver Bullets, Salah Family, Young Gunners, Hardball Management, Foundation Family, Bombers, YMCA, DC Ballers, YMCA B, Spaniards, HK, and Spaniards B.
The playing dates are November 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, and 29th.
The winner of the event will receive $1,500,000 and a championship trophy. The second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers will pocket $750,000, $350,000, and $200,000, respectively, and a trophy.
On the individual side, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) will ride away with a motorcycle. Similarly, a $300,000 economic grant will also be awarded to a player or fan to aid their continued academic development. Each team must submit their candidate.
Meanwhile, each team will receive an appearance fee of $40,000 once they complete the group stage.
ExxonMobil Guyana Community Relations Supervisor Ryan Hoppie said that the event was about strategic community investment, noting that it also was important because it fostered cohesion and promoted healthy lifestyles.
According to Hoppie, the company is pleased to support an important event which affords players the avenue to highlight their respective talents.
He further challenged the teams to be disciplined, noting that the event was a social space that served as an alternative to illicit activities while also contributing to tourism in the region.
Upper Demerara Football Association President Wainwright Bethune commended the company for its continued investment and involvement in the region, noting that the entity’s annual partnership with the New Era ground illustrated that it was satisfied with the quality of the product given its emphasis on different levels of development.
Meanwhile, Dr Gregory Harris of the Health Ministry disclosed that the entity would be utilising the tournament as a platform to promote health and wellness in the region.
He challenged the teams to utilise the same tactics and strategies used to win games to aid in the development of their respective communities, noting that the players have tremendous influence on the behaviour of young people and should use this platform to improve the conditions of their communities.