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Scotia Bank/ Pepsi Schools Football Academy officially launched
Despite, the President of Guyana Sport Development Foundation (GSDF),
Representatives of sponsors (from left) Sharda Vereen-Chand , Jennifer Cipriani, and Colin Baker displays replica football to signal the launch of this year’s Scotia Bank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy, yesterday.
Colin Baker, revealing that the programme was slower than expected during the launching of the Scotia Bank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy at the Ministry of Education Sport Club, Carifesta Avenue, it must be noted that the fruits of the Academy were also already being picked, as the Academy produced players who played for the U-17 Lady Jaguars team as well as Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) in Suriname last year.
The President stated that this year four schools have joined the programme in this their second year. Baker disclosed that the programme, which has three phases, has already undergo its first one, which is the coaching course with the teachers. The Coaching course was conducted under United States-based Coach Stanley Harmon, who is also the Technical Director of the Scotia Bank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy.
The second phase of the programme will be a referee’s coaching programme for students; the programme will be conducted by officials Guyana Football Federation (Lawrence Griffith and Colin Aaron).
The third will be the tournament which is slated for March 3rd. Baker stated that is where the spectators will see both males and females in a play-off league with each team having the chance to play each other before the final four battle in the finals.
Baker continued by saying that the Academy would not have been a reality without the sponsors and was appreciative of interest in the second year of the Academy. He also indicated that two coach instructors from Trinidad and Tobago will be assisting the coaches and players before the tournament starts and added that scholarship opportunities are in the making for the players who excel in the game.
Jennifer Cipriani, Marketing Manager of Scotia Bank, stated that she was proud of the results from last year and has a vision of more football matches being played at school level.
Marketing Director of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), Sharda Vereen-Chand, added that DDL could not have turned down GSDF offer when they were contacted by Baker. Chand stated that with the professionalism from GSDF and the ideas the Foundation had it was an opportunity to take and with that was happy to co-sponsor with Scotia Bank.
Ministry of Education Representative from Allied Arts, Desiree Wyles-Ogle declared that the Academy will help tremendously as the tournament and programme for the students will also impart knowledge in them which will assist in their Physical Education Examination (CXC) in May-June.
She also disclosed that in 2005 only two students wrote the Physical Education Exams under CXC however the amount of students increased vastly to 400 for 2012.
The General Secretary of Guyana Football Federation said that the Academy should be praised and not buried and stated that both schools and football in the whole will benefit.
He also added that the programme helps to prevent school drop-outs and added that useful partnership from everyone with aid in the development of the sport in Guyana. (Juanita Hooper)
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