A simple but significant presentation ceremony was hosted on Tuesday morning at the Head Office of the Guyana Beverages Inc (GBI) at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, where the company, under their Busta brand, solidified their support for the recently commenced Republic Bank Under-18 Schools’ Football league.
Now in its 5th edition, the Petra-organised tournament kicked off on Sunday, October 27, and Round One of the League would be concluded this week with an outstanding clash between Dolphin and West Ruimveldt Secondary schools being contested.
Andre Noel, Marketing Manager of SM Jaleel and Company, parent entity of the GBI, highlighted the magnitude of the entity’s support for sporting initiatives when he declared high hopes for the League.
“At SM Jaleel, our commitment to sports in the Caribbean is a longstanding one. We’ve had past sponsorships, as people know, in cricket: such as Caribbean Premier League (and) Busta Cricket Cup in years past. We have a strong cricket focus in Berbice, Demerara, Essequibo, and that legacy extends not only to cricket, but extends outside to football. We are very passionate about football, especially in this country, and we have been able to give our support from all levels, youth up to professional leagues,” Noel explained.
GBI General Manager Samuel Arjune making a presentation to Petra’s Troy Mendonca in the presence of Andre Noel (L) and Troy Peters (R)
“So, we look forward to a smooth execution of this tournament. We have utmost confidence in Petra Organisation in this League, and we hope to see that this is a platform that continues to showcase Guyana’s best talent; and our optimism is that this competition will be that springboard, not only for the winning teams who represent Guyana internationally, but also to uncover that next star in our communities.”
Grateful for the investment, Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca disclosed its value when he shared, “We’re always happy — in this case we’re elated — to have GBI to be on board with us. To Mr. Arjune and his fellow executives, we just want you to know that your contribution not only has lent to the running of the tournament, but it also adds value to these youngsters involved in the tournament. This tournament, in any landscape, is very developmental, because the teams play a League format.”
The Republic Bank U18 League is likely to continue on Sunday, November 3, with Round 2.
