Milo competition gets name change as Massy injects $8M into U18 tournament

Popularly known as the Milo Under–18 Football Tournament, title sponsor Massy has taken the reins of one of the most anticipated secondary school football competitions in Guyana, titling the competition the “Massy Under–18 Football Tournament” for its 12th edition in 2026.
The company will sponsor the tournament under a complement of brands, including Milo, Club Social, Orchard, Ocean Spray Creamery and Tang, injecting some $8M into this year’s competition.
All this was unveiled at the official launch on Thursday afternoon, which was hosted at Massy’s Montrose, East Coast Demerara (ECD) location.
There, Massy Distribution Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Troy Beharry underscored their commitment to supporting the next generation of Guyanese football talent.

Beharry told the gathering, “At Massy, we believe that corporate social responsibility must be real, meaningful and must create impact. Supporting this tournament does exactly that. Over the years, this competition has helped to develop football in Guyana. Many of our national footballers would’ve emerged from a tournament like this one; that is something we should all be proud of,” Beharry told the gathering.
“So, when we support this tournament, we are not just sponsoring football; we are supporting dreams, we are supporting potential, we are supporting the next generation of talent in Guyana,” the Massy Distribution CEO added.
The Minister within the Sport Ministry, Steven Jacobs, also graced the launching ceremony, detailing how the organisers’ efforts tie into the Government’s plan whilst also making an appeal to corporate Guyana.
“We are working to have one of the best sporting ecosystems in the entire world. So, what we’re doing is geared towards accomplishing that. When you have people like Petra on board and all the other organisations, we are happy to have that, and we are happy to have Massy and any other corporate entity. What we’re building out is second to none, and we want to lead; we want to lead in every single sector,” the sport Minister explained.

Jacobs, a former athlete himself, went on to appeal, “So, sport plays a vital role in the development of any single society because it develops people. So, what Massy is doing here is something that is remarkable. And at this time, I also want to call on all of corporate Guyana to join hands in propelling sport, in helping our athletes. If it’s even sponsoring an athlete in some type of way so that they can then develop their skills, sponsoring a tournament, and this can fall in any sport discipline, but it is important so that we create individuals that can contribute to society meaningfully.”
Meanwhile, Co-Director of the Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca, was on hand to divulge key details about this year’s tournament.
Mendonca informed, “One of our foundation tournaments and this competition are not just another fixture on our calendar but one of the tournaments that is embedded in our school system. From this tournament, the top 8 teams will qualify for our league later down in the year, and from that league, the top two teams will go on to represent Guyana at our year-end championship.”
He went on to divulge, “In essence, this tournament is the first step in our journey that takes the young footballers from school grounds to national representation, either through the national team or the school that you play for.”
According to the organiser, over 50 schools have expressed their interest in the competition. However, that number will be reduced to 32, through knockout matches, by the time the tournament kicks off on Saturday, March 21.
The 32 teams will compete in a round-robin/knockout format, being drafted into 8 groups of 4 for the first round of the tournament.
The championship-winning team will cart off a $300,000 grand prize that will be allocated to a school project of the winner’s choice. Second and third place will receive $200,000 and $100,000 for the same purpose.