ExxonMobil on board once again for U-14 football tournament

After a successful inaugural tournament in 2018, the ExxonMobil Girls and Boys Under-14 Football tournament will return next Saturday for its second edition.
The first ball is expected to be kicked off on the morning of June 8, with the boys’ teams starting their round- robin stage. Because there are less female teams, the young ladies will begin playing in the third week of the seven-week tournament.
Speaking on the initiative of the tournament, Petra Co- Director Troy Mendonca explained how bridging the gap between Under-11 and Under-18 is crucial for development.
“Definitely, we want to see the continuation from the U-11 tournament. I think we, over the years, would have lost the opportunity to see those youngsters from the U-11 coming through and continuing in the development. We just want to continue to provide the opportunity to foster development,” Mendonca explained.
This year’s tournament will see the inclusion of 24 Boys’ teams, while 12 girls’ team will compete. For both divisions, the teams will play in groups, after which the top finishers will move on to the knockout rounds and battle to stay alive in the competition.
In his remarks at the tournament’s launch, Guyana of the Football Federation, Wayne Forde, disclosed that coaching and technical support would be made available to the teams.
“We at the GFF understand how important it is to introduce the game to our young boys and girls at the earliest age, and to have them involved in structured football activity. There will certainly be training in preparation for their game, and we will do everything in our power to support the coaching aspect of the schools participating,” Forde said.
In another act of generosity, the GFF boss presented a solution to battle inclement weather.
“I want to use this opportunity to extend an offer to the Petra Organisation, given the inclement weather that is prevailing at the moment. The GFF will be happy to make its National Training Centre available for the tournament, is you so wish,” Forde declared.
The NTC is an international standard, all weather pitch that would facilitate the game being played regardless of rain or shine.
Bringing the blessing of the Ministry of Education was Lorraine Barker-King, who said the tournament is important for producing rounded students.
And ExxonMobil’s Public and Government Affairs Manager, Deedra Moe, alluded to Barker-King’s comments while expressing the company’s elation at being on board with the activity once again.
“We’re really excited to be here, and (be) a part of this organisation and partnership. When we look at ‘how do we make an impact’ and ‘how do we engage in communities’, we look for opportunities to make a difference through youth empowerment. And we find that youth development through sport is an area of focus for us, because of the leadership skills that can be developed,” Moe explained.
She commended Petra for being able to identify the gap in youth football development, and being able to find a solution to remedy it.
In the inaugural tournament in 2018, Chase’s Academy were the male winners while Charlestown Secondary took home the female championship. As the first prize, the winning schools would have opportunity to choose a school project that they would like to see completed.