Massara men, Region 10’s women Heritage Games football champions

Witnessed by a massive crowd at the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Ground on Sunday night, the annual Amerindian Heritage football competition finals were a sight to behold with two riveting games.
First up was the women’s final with Region 10 taking on Region Seven.
Eventual women’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), Sandra Johnson was the star of the show for Region 10, opening the scoring in the fourth minute. By the 10th, Johnson had registered a brace, while Jalade Trim made it a 3-0 affair in the 20th minute.

Johnson returned to complete her hat-trick in the 32nd minute, giving Region 10 a 4-0 lead at the half.
It was a much better second segment for Region 7, whose Eliz Hope netted their consolation in the 61st minute, but they were unable to get past Region 10’s defences again, slumping to a 4-1 defeat.

Region 10 Captain Shinelle Pearson was elated at her team’s redemption after missing out on the championship in the past.
“It feels absolutely great. We’ve been in the finals before, but we got beaten on penalties, so, this year, we came back stronger and we came to win it. And since we won it, we’re going to defend it from now on, because it’s been four years now that we’re chasing the championship and we got close, but didn’t win. So, this year, it’s an absolute pleasure to be the captain of this winning team,” Pearson expressed.
The Region 10 Captain went on to share about their opposition, “Yeah, they’re always challenging, but we had to face it and every year we came back stronger and stronger, because this year, like I said, we came to win the championship and we had to do everything possible to regain it for the region.”
On the other hand, the men’s final was a nail-biting affair between Region Seven’s Pariuma and Region Nine’s Massara. Massara stunned the defending champions with an opening goal in the first minute off the boots of Vitalis Benjamin, who later gave his team a 2-0 lead with another goal in the 16th.
As soon as Carlito Joseph pulled one back for Pariuma in the 60th minute, Benjamin responded with his third strike of the night. Pariuma, again, found the back of the net in the 95th, through Padmore Jokerman, but it was a little too late for the defending champions who were dethroned.
Massara Captain Stephen Glasgow, expressing pride in his team, talked about the nerves he felt as Pariuma fought back.
Glasgow told Guyana Times Sport, “I feel very excited. I’m very proud, very proud of my team.”
“Yeah, I was so nervous, because we had two and they had nil and after they got one. So, I felt a little frightened, but I had to fight to the end and up to the last whistle. I am happy to win the Heritage Games,” Glasgow added.
Meanwhile, Region One’s men and women reclaimed their volleyball titles, with Delicia Campbelle and Vance Harding both of the Mabaruma Spartans picking up the MVP accolade. In the women’s competition, Orealla/Siparuta took home the second-place prize while Region Seven finished second in the male volleyball competition.
Region One’s Moruca Women and Region Seven’s men took home top honours in the cricket competition, with Abigail Scott of Region One and Albert Hoenkirk of Region Seven grabbing the MVP prizes. From Region Four, Kuru Kuru’s women settled for second in the cricket competition while Laluni’s men, also of Region Four, finished second in the male event.
The cricket and football competitions attracted a $500,000 grand prize for both men and women, with the volleyball champions carting off $300,000.