70+ schools confirmed for expanded Blue Water GirlsU15 Championships

Aishalton will be ground zero today, witnessing the kick-off of what will become a nationwide hosting of the third edition of the Blue Water Girls Under-15 Football Championships.

Spearheaded by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), this year’s Blue Water tournament was launched on Wednesday afternoon at their National Training Centre (NTC), Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
This time around, the tournament has already attracted 70 schools from across the country, with the GFF hoping to get up to 80 schools, with several new faces already geared up for competition.
A signal of growth for the Federation, this expansion was discussed by GFF President Wayne Forde during the launch.
The GFF boss said, “What began as an ambitious vision to make football more accessible to young girls across Guyana is steadily becoming one of the most impactful youth programmes in our country. This tournament is not only growing in size, but it’s also growing in purpose, reach and national significance.”
I wish to extend our sincere appreciation to Blue Water Shipping for their invaluable investment in this competition and, more importantly, in the future of young women in Guyana.”
Forde went on to reveal, “This year, we’re especially pleased to announce that three additional schools from Region Nine will be participating in the tournament. Bringing the total number of participating schools from the region to nine. We’re also excited to welcome Mahdia Secondary, which will make their debut in the competition under the generous patronage of the Rights of the Child Organisation.”
The growth of the tournament was also highlighted by Blue Waters’ manager, Rowena Elliot.
“For Blue Water Shipping, this partnership is much more than football. It is more about investing in girls, supporting discipline and teamwork and helping to create pathways for young female talent to be seen, nurtured and to be developed across Guyana. The tournament has already proved its value, as the inaugural championship was described as Guyana’s largest girls’ football tournament,” Elliott expressed.
The Blue Water Manager added, “That is a growth that definitely matters, and it tells us that with the right structures, partnerships and, of course, opportunities once they’re in place, girls will show up. They will not only show up to compete, but they’ll definitely show up to build their confidence, their leadership skills and their belief in what is possible.”
Meanwhile, the tournament received the blessing of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and, by extension, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS), as Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa Dow-Richardson voiced her endorsement.
“This Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ tournament is really significant because in its third year, we’re seeing continuity, consistency and we’re seeing expansion. Expansion that has inclusivity across the 83,000 square miles, across the ten regions,” the ADoS noted.
“For the Federation, for the Ministry of Education, this is what we want. We want the sports in school. And it’s a representation of this tournament, young girls who’re going to have an opportunity. Now, it’s almost 80 schools; this is expansion, this is inclusivity and this is what we want to endorse.”
Richardson went on to address the players present, stating, “To the young girls who’re participating in this tournament, I want to say to you, congratulations for making the right choice. You’re making the right decision to choose sport. The things that you’ll learn, the experiences that you’ll have in this tournament will help you to inculcate life skills. Like skills that will empower you.”
Following round-robin play within the respective regions, the successful teams will move on to the Round of 16 as they vie for the national title.