MCYS onboard with the KFC Goodwill International tournament

As preparations intensify for this year’s staging of the sixth KFC Goodwill International Schools’ Football Tournament, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) has thrown their support behind the tournament.
More significant, though, is the Ministry’s monetary investment in the competition that will feature eight schools from across the Caribbean and South America, set to run from December 14 to 21.

During an official presentation ceremony on Tuesday at the Ministry’s Main Street, Georgetown, Boardroom, Co-Director of the Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca, spoke to the significance of the collaboration between three groups of society.
“Today is a very significant day for us because it signifies a private individual, corporate Guyana and the Government of Guyana coming together to deliver one of the most unique sporting events in the Caribbean ad we’re very proud to know that the Minister would’ve given me an opportunity to have a conversation with him,” Mendonca shared with pride.
The Organiser went on to state, “It’s very important for us that Government and corporate should come together and do this because I don’t think it’s ever happened in the Caribbean and it’s a good opportunity for us to showcase what we can do as the citizens of this country.”
Divulging that the Ministry will initially invest some $3M into the event, Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr gave an account of the Government’s support, highlighting the potential of the competition.
Ramson disclosed the initial sum of support, stating, “This one, for us, is three million dollars is our investment into this tournament. If they have higher sums coming from the private sector right now but this is our first engagement on the tournament. There’s probably a likelihood that we will revise that moving forward, once we are getting a good feel for how the tournament will take off but we believe in it.”
“The potential for this event is huge. I’m telling you; you’re only scratching the surface right now. It will become a very successful regional tournament, that we will even see broadcasted across the region.”
“The point is that the potential for the tournament is massive and that’s one of the reasons why when Minister Jacobs and I spoke about it and when Kashif, we spoke about it, we knew that we wanted to have a firm role now and our role moving forward will be seminal because of the potential,” the Sport Minister further expressed.
Also sharing remarks during Tuesday afternoon’s engagement was Minister within the Sport Ministry Steven Jacobs, who reiterated the importance of the public-private partnership.
“Let me, first of all, say how important it is to have such a tournament and to have this public- private partnership in creating opportunities for our young sportsmen and sportswomen, but in particular football. A lot of people might say football is the most popular sport in Guyana and we’ve seen a lot of interest in football and to have it from the grass root level and to have an organization like Petra, who’s been successful in organizing football and now having a consistent regional tournament, I think it’s very important,” the former cricketer turned politician articulated.
Jacobs added, “So, we have a premier Schools’ football tournament here in Guyana and that says a lot, in terms of what we’re doing for sport,”
This year’s KFC Goodwill competition will feature defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation, Annai Secondary (Region Nine), and the winner or runner-up of the Republic Bank Secondary School League – all representing Guyana.
From Trinidad and Tobago, St Benedict’s College will compete, alongside Kingston College of Jamaica, Anglican Central Education Authority (ACEA) Select of the Bahamas, Monteiro Lobato School of Boa Vista, Brazil, and Suriname’s Schools’ Championship winners will add to the tournament’s international flair.
In addition, the Sport Minister has indicated the readiness of the culture arm of the Ministry to assist with the tournament’s cultural night, which will see each of the participating schools showcasing their home country’s cultural stylings. Notably, the event is likely to be shifted from the Umana Yana to the Kingston Seawall Esplanade under the Ministry’s direction.