MoPH joins forces with ExxonMobil Under 14 tournament
The Ministry of Public Health under their Fight against Chronic Diseases on Thursday teamed up with the Petra Organization to get onboard the ExxonMobil Under 14 Boy’s and Girl’s tournament, in order to to push their mantra.
The ExxonMobil Under 14 tournament will begin on Saturday morning with an official march pass and similarly to the Milo Under 18 tournament which carried a Stand against Gender based violence campaign, the U14 players will have a mantra to uphold.
From Right: Petra’s Co- Director Troy Mendonca, Dr. Kavita Singh, Glendon Fogenay, Petra’s Mark Alleyne and a Ministry of Health Representative
Joining ExxonMobil and Pepsi for the first time in the two year tournament, is the Ministry of Public Health, who will use this platform as an opportunity to make youths aware of the dangers of chronic diseases and how it is affecting Guyanese society.
Head of the MoPH’s Chronic Disease Unit Dr. Kavita Singh explained how Guyanese are being affected by the disease.
“As the person who is responsible for chronic no communicable diseases in Guyana, we do know that it is responsible for approximately 70% of all premature deaths every year in our country. And more and more each year, we’re noticing that a lot of our youths are becoming diagnosed with cancer, hypertension, Type One and Two diabetes. So for us physical activity is very instrumental in reducing mortality in our youths,” Dr. Singh explained.
The tournament will see participation from 24 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams. The boys will begin their round robin stage on Saturday, June 15 and the girls will start playing next Saturday, June 22.
Also shedding light on the issue of Chronic diseases was Health Official Glendon Fogenay, who shared how sport can play an integral role in maintain a healthy body and mind.
“It is not just your body that benefits from sports and physical activities but also it contributes to mental health and the prevention of depression. Also it increases self-esteem and your body image. Sports can also develop positive mental health skill such as accountability, leadership and dedication,” Fogenay revealed.
While ExxonMobil and Pepsi are the sponsors, the tournament is being coordinated by the Petra Organization. Co- Director Troy Menondca spoke on the benefits of conducting such tournaments for youths.
“The Petra Organization, over the years, is pleased to mention that we’ve been building relationships with different stakeholders and more so, our involvement saw us organizing tournaments at the school level. But we keep saying time and time again that what we do not only improves on the skill sets of the youngsters in terms of the game but we build future leaders through their involvement in the sport,” Mendonca stated.
The winners of the ExxonMobil Under 14 tournament will have the opportunity to select a school project that will be completed by the Oil and Gas company.
