… Focus on youth development
THE Petra Organisation, dedicated to the advancement of grassroots football in Guyana, signalled its return to the fore in a monumental way when its organisers announced the hosting of nine tournaments on Thursday evening during a simple ceremony at Cara Lodge.
Among the attendees at the reception were Directors of Petra, Troy Mendonca and Marlan Cole; Guyana Football Federation (GFF) representative Franklin Wilson and Ministry of Education’s representative, Kurt Braithwaite, among others.
The nine programmes include Milo U18 Tournament, Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers U18 League, Courts Pee Wee Competition, Smalta Girls U11 Tournament, ExxonMobil Boys & Girls U14 Competition, KFC Goodwill, Corona Beer Futsal, Limacol Round Robin/Knockout and Turbo KO Football Tournaments.
Title sponsors that already partnered with Petra for the venture are Beepat’s, Guyoil, Esso Exploration Guyana, Courts Guyana Inc., Guyana Brewery Inc., Kentucky Fried Chicken – Guyana, Top Brandz Distributors, New GPC Inc. and Guyana Beverages Inc.
During Mendonca’s remarks, he was quite elated to have such a positive response in getting grassroots football back on track since the pandemic halted the smooth flow of their programmes when the decision was made to shut school doors in March 2020, when the virus ran rampant.
Mendonca further spoke about the journey Petra has endured in trying to achieve its goal and disclosed scores of sponsors and partners whose input was critical in successfully staging those much-needed tournaments. He further thanked everyone who played a part in their actions that aligned with Petra’s objectives.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Braithwaite said the decision to come on board with Petra’s objectives for the ministry was an easy one. The ministry revealed the chance to join education with sports and fitness and noted it has been quite impactful since the commencement of the partnership.
GFF Member Services Officer, Wilson, who represented GFF president Wayne Forde, congratulated the Petra organisation for the astute work they have done over the decade and added that the federation stands ready to assist them in any way possible to ensure continued success.
“We, at the GFF, would also like to commend the organisation for your steadfast commitment to the rules, regulations and values that govern football and encourage them to ensure that good governance remains a cornerstone of every aspect of their football operation.
“And I do believe that if they did not have good governance then that would not have paved the way for the plethora of sponsors who have been allowed to support grassroots football in any way possible,” Wilson disclosed.