Office of the Prime Minister adds fuel to East Bank Inter-Village

The upcoming East Bank Inter-Village Football Competition, which is being organised by Sports Extra, received a timely boost when Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, confirmed the entity’s commitment to the competition.
Minister McCoy handed over a cheque for an undisclosed sum to Sports Extra’s Franklin Wilson, during a simple ceremony.
Following the presentation on Friday, McCoy said that the organisation of the tournament came at a time when the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Government by extension, has been forcefully underlining the importance of sports in the holistic development of the country.
He pointed to the construction of new sport facilities across the country and the restoration and further refurbishment of existing ones as clear examples of the Administration’s attempt to make sport a major priority on its agenda.
According to the Minister, “the East Bank Inter-Village Football Tournament can further create a structured space to refine raw ability, discover future national players and promote healthy rivalry that strengthens community bonds along the East Bank Demerara corridor.”
He added that he saw the donation as a continuum of the Government’s investment and support for youth development, social cohesion and national progress where the country gets to benefit from a pool of young players who will be more focused, motivated, and inspired.
McCoy further emphasised that such competitions can provide safe and positive outlets for the youths and at the same time transform the playfields into stages of opportunity.
The competition carries prize monies totalling in excess of $3 million in cash and trophies along with individual accolades for Best Goalkeeper, Most Valuable Player and Highest Goalscorer.
The first-place prize is set at $1 million, while the second-, third- and fourth-place prizes are $500,000, $250,000 and $150,000 respectively.
Villages set to participate are Agricola, Grove, Friendship, Soesdyke, Timehri, Kuru Kururu, Swan, St Cuthbert’s Mission, Circuitville, Samatta Point, Kaneville, Mocha, Herstelling, Diamond, Hauraruni and Yarrowkabra.