The annual Indigenous Heritage Games came to an end on Sunday evening at the Everest Sports Club ground with exciting football action with new champions being crowned. In the male division, Mabaruma (Region 1) defeated Tabatinga (Region 9) in a high intensity and very competitive game while the best female team, Pariuma hardly worked up a sweat to lift the female title.
Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Gariddo-Lowe meeting new champions Mabaruma before the final game
In the grand finale of the three-day event, Mabaruma totally dominated Tabatinga with a 6-2 drubbing. Over the years, the rivalry on the football field was always between teams from Regions one and nine where the best players from the country originate. For the past three years, Region nine Central Rupununi teams won the championship but in 2016 the tables were turn.
Sheron Davis of Tabatinga opened the scoring in the 24th minute and it seemed as the script was already written for a repeat for Region nine but Romario Welcome answered with the equalizer four minutes later at which time both teams were finding the back of the net at will. Mabaruma will then advance one minute later when Kerron Solomon beat the Tabatinga defence after the goalkeeper left his goal exposed. Joel Nieunkerk was not to be out done when he scored from the corner in the 30th minute for the Region nine champions. It was 2-2 after just 30 minutes of brilliant football and the crowd was really into the game cheering on every play.
With the intensity running high, Kareem Knights pounced on a loose ball from mid-field and scored in the 31st to put Mabaruma ahead again and it was no looking back from here. Rawle Parris then extended the lead to 4-2 when he was on target for Mabaruma in the 36th minute. To see the North West side firmly in control at the interval.
Upon the resumption, Tabatinga were trying desperately with captain Emrick Williams and the experienced Peter Parks setting up some brilliant scoring opportunities but were denied by brilliant defending from their more determined opponents. In the 55th minute there was tussle for the ball in front of the Tabatinga goal and when the dust was settled it was Kareem Knights who was celebrating with his teammates then Rawle Parris the sealed the deal in the 88th minute to end Region nine’s dominance.
Mabaruma’s Kareem Knights was named the most valuable player of the final. He scored two goals and assisted in two more.
In the female category, Pariuma (Region 7) led by Most Valuable Player, Evadney Thomas brushed aside Moruca (Region 1) by a 5-1 margin. Moruca who defeated Culvert City of Central Rupununi (Region 9) in the semi-final via sudden death penalties were feeding off Annalisa Vincent but needed more support for the teenage sensation. Donnalyn Elliman began the destruction as early as the fourth minute but Annalisa Vincent replied in the 10th to make scores level and at that point it was any team’s title. After several attempts on goal no team was able to advance until the 36th minute when Pariuma’s Betsy Gonsalves tipped one in to leave the score at 2-1 at the end of the first half. The quarter and semi-finals were 30 minutes per half but the final was 45 minutes per session and it seemed to work against the North West side who showed signs of tiredness while the fit Region Seven unit capitalized.
Gonsalves completed a double in the 54th, and was nicely supported by Evadney Thomas and Elenixa Lewis in the 60th and 61st minutes respectively.
Pariuma’s passage to the champion started when they defeated Orealla/Siparuta 10-0 in the first game then dumped North Rupununi 5-0 in the semi-final to crown a remarkable tournament as only one goal was scored against them while they poured in 20.
Volleyball
Orealla/Siparuta continued their volleyball dominance when they won their third consecutive male title. In the final they came up against a spirited Mainstay team and beat them two games to none. The first game ended 15-11 but the second was more intense however, the eventual 15-7 score line didn’t do justice to the Essequibo coast based team. In the female category, Moruca (Region 1) and St Cuthbert’s Mission (Region 4) played in an exciting championship match as well.
However, after two games it was the more youthful North West team that was left standing. They defeated St Cuthbert’s 15-8, 15-13 to take their maiden title.
Cricket
St Cuthbert’s did not go home empty handed, they tasted championship when they defeated neighbours Laluni by 12 runs in the female cricket final.
Defending male cricket champions, Laluni (Region 4) also missed out on a title. They were beaten by Madhia (Region 8) in the semi-final by eight wickets. Madhia then went on to the final where they were beaten by Region Two United.
The new champs batted first and got to 53 for 3 from their five overs to which Madhia were limited to 48 for 5 to lose by five runs in a see-saw final under the floodlights in front of a vocal crowd. Colin De Young made 21 not out and was named Man of the Match of the final.
The annual Heritage Games are organized and hosted by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and in 2016 was held over a three day period. Three disciplines, cricket, football and volleyball were contested among 572 athletes while archery made its debut and attracted approximately 75 open archers from which 29 were shortlisted for the final leg of shooting then the top three were awarded prizes for their efforts (see story on page 21).
Swimming was done on day two (Saturday September 17) at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal and attracted another 50 swimmers and was organized by the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA).
