Blue Water Shipping Girls’ U15 tournament: 8 schools move on to quarter-final round

Six schools from various outlying areas and two from Georgetown have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary School Championship after a rigorous Round of 16 held on Saturday and Sunday.
The June 22 and June 23 matches at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre (NTC) on East Bank Demerara saw unforgettable moments from Guyana’s up-and-coming football prospects from nine regions.
The teams from the preliminary round were divided into four groups, with the top two advancing to the June 29 quarter-finals of Guyana’s largest girls’ tournament.
In Group A, Waramuri Primary claimed the top spot with nine points, followed by Bush Lot in second with six points. Charity Secondary finished third with three points, while Christianburg-Wismar Secondary exited the tournament in fourth position.

Group B saw Santa Rosa Secondary lead with nine points, while Tucville Secondary secured second place with four points, edging out Ann’s Grove Secondary on goal difference. New Amsterdam Secondary secured fourth place.
Group C was dominated by St Ignatius Secondary, who won all three matches and accumulated nine points. Queen’s College secured second place with six points, followed by Westminster Secondary with three points and Woodley Park Secondary at the bottom of the group.
In Group D, Bartica Secondary and President’s College both advanced with seven points each. Mackenzie High School claimed third place with three points, while New Campbellville Secondary finished fourth.
These results set the stage for an exciting quarter-final round in the competition.
GFF President Wayne Forde congratulated the eight teams advancing to the third round and lauded all the student-athletes for their competitive spirit.
“We have witnessed some incredible football this weekend. Every athlete represented their school well. Congratulations to the top eight teams. I anticipate an even more intense next round, given the dedication and hard work these young girls have displayed throughout the tournament,” he said.
The Ministry of Education-backed tournament began nationwide on May 4, featuring over a thousand student-athletes and heralding the commencement of the competitive phase of the FIFA Football For School Programme (F4S), aimed at imparting life skills through football.
While Region Eight is not participating this year, plans are in motion to include them in the next edition of the tournament.
Operations Coordinator Lavern Fraser said students from all teams played “with determination to secure the top two spots in each group”.
“We’ve witnessed two days of exceptional football from our budding stars.”
President of the Women’s Football Association (WFA), Andrea Johnson, also praised “all the teachers and coaches for their commitment over the weekend to ensure these future national players have the opportunity to compete on a national stage”.
The inaugural champions of the GFF-Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary School Championship will be crowned on June 30.