THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has partnered with ExxonMobil and Ansa McAl to launch an eight-team International Futsal tournament, which will be played from December 27 to 30.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Morvant Caledonia United will head the list of teams from overseas which also features ZV All-Stars from Suriname, and Brazilian side from the state of Sau Paulo.
While in Guyana, the teams will collide with a Guyana select side, along with a team from Linden, East Bank Demerara and West Demerara football associations.
GFF is yet to say where the tournament will be held, but tentatively, the National Park and Cliff Anderson Sports Hall are the venues earmarked to host the first international Futsal tournament in Guyana.
The winning side will pocket $1.2M, while second through fourth place will go home with $600 000, $300 000 and $100 000 respectively.
Wayne Forde, president of the GFF, in lauding Ansa McAl and ExxonMobil for their support, made a rallying call to futsal fans to support the event, telling reporters that his Federation is looking forward to a tournament that will be worthy of the investment the sponsors are making.
“I want to encourage the general public to support the tournament because we have many days of exciting football with an exciting international flavour and I have every reason to believe that the fans are going to have a great experience,” the GFF boss noted.
Nicholas Yearwood, ExxonMobil Communications Adviser, who pointed out that this is its second involvement in the Futsal arena, having partnered with New Era Entertainment for the tournament in Linden, said the track record and involvement of the Medal of Service recipients Kashif and Shanghai Organisation made it easy for them to make a decision to come on board.
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton, who also holds the responsibility for sport, said while he’s happy to see International Futsal being played in Guyana, he would have been more pleased if teams from the hinterland could have been involved.
The Minister wished the GFF well and stated his Government’s support in ensuring that the tournament is run in a smooth manner.