KASHIF & SHANGHAI FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

Sep 24, 2008 Sports

---

– a Christmas gift to Guyana 

By Michael Benjamin
Great inventions sprout from little thoughts, unrestrained honesty and extraordinary determination.

Ingredients: It was a foolproof concoction that required no ingenuity. The ingredients were virtually inexpensive but extremely valuable. One tiny idea, one teaspoon of determination, one heaped portion of organizational skill and an unlimited amount of honesty and integrity.

Directions: Place idea and determination into a bowl and stir briskly. Leave for ten minutes then sprinkle with shrewd organizational skills. Douse liberally with large amounts of honesty and integrity. Blend thoroughly and serve to the public.

Gifts: Christmas in Guyana is traditionally a time for giving and sharing. Miraculously, even the most humble among us, regardless of our economic standing, harbour the propensity to spread goodwill and cheer to families and close friends.

The Kashif and Shanghai football tournament is more or less a huge Christmas gift to the Guyanese nation. It was a well thought up gift, packaged and distributed by two modern day Santa Clauses- Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major and Kashif Muhammad, formerly Greg Charles.

Inauguration: Georgetown remains the cream of places to most Guyanese. As such, during the Christmas season most promoters organize events in Georgetown because of its lucrative location. There is a paucity of resources in outlying regions, the concomitant results being lack of support for planned events.

Nineteen years ago this reality was forcefully driven home upon two football fanatics, Greg Charles and Aubrey Major, aka Kashif and Shanghai. Both hailed from the mining town of Linden. The two set about discussing ways and means of addressing this issue while endeavoring to bring some prominence to their hometown.

It was out of their deliberations that the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament, arguably the best organized in Guyana and the Caribbean region, was born.   

Productive seed: Kashif tersely underlined the birth of the tournament. “There was a dearth of meaningful activity in Linden,” he disclosed, “So the opportunity to create something innovative was beaconing.” Back then, the two pals were managing Linden’s two frontline football teams. Kashif controlled ‘Milerock’ while Shanghai was affiliated to the ‘Eagle’s United.’

These teams distinguished themselves from the others to the extent that whenever they participated in major football tournaments in Linden, one or the other prevailed.

There was a notable void in the social arena during the Christmas season that begged attention. Being ardent sports buffs, the duo traveled to Georgetown to attend the traditional Boxing Day fights at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) or the National Park. Unfortunately, not all Lindeners could have afforded the trip to the capitol city so they were relegated to a dull monotonous season.

It was then that Kashif and Shanghai joined forces and shifted their brain into nationalistic gear. They saw a void in the entertainment industry in the mining town that needed to be filled and set about doing the honours.

Their first venture was to pit the skills of the two best teams in Linden, Milerock and Eagles United, in a winner take all football match. During the planning stages of this inaugural tournament, the idea of a ‘play off’ format between the four two top teams in the Upper Demerara Sub Association (UDSA), cropped up.

The plan was to make the tournament more delectable. That was how Central Hikers and Botofago became a part of the entertainment mix. Central Hikers opposed Milerock while Eagles United played Botofago. The winner of the respective matches moved on to play in the finals on New Years day.

K&S next approached the management of Banks DIH Ltd (Linden branch) for corporate assistance. They got it. The beverage giants donated four thousand dollars to facilitate the purchase of trophies. The entertainment starved Lindeners eagerly supported the venture, converging in huge numbers at the McKenzie Sports Complex (MSC). That was on Boxing Day in 1989. Today, that little seed has germinated into a 19 year old tree, laden with abundant fruit.

Expansion: Even before the germination of the football tournament, K&S were business associates. The duo disclosed that they promoted dances and other events long before football became a part of the mix. The union has so far withstood the test of time. Both principals admitted that trust is the key variable that kept them together thus ensuring the sustenance and longevity of the tournament.

Buoyed by the initial successes in the inaugural year, the promoters decided to plan another tournament in 1990. They had absolutely no idea that the tournament would have gelled into such an important and regular feature on the Guyanese sports calendar.  Expansion was automatic. The tournament was such a success that it piqued the interest of 8 other teams affiliated to the UDSA as well as an additional sponsor, Shell Mohammed Enterprise.

The crowd support of the first year was once again replicated and 1990 was another resounding success story. Three years after its inauguration, the K&S football tournament was ripe for expansion. Kashif admitted that even though the tournament was flourishing in Linden, football enthusiasts in Georgetown were totally in the dark regarding its existence. It was then that the organizers stretched out a hand of goodwill to their Georgetown counterparts.

Established: There were notable changes in the third year. Kashif related that journalist G. I. Chappel heard about the tournament and traveled to Linden for a first hand look. “He was astounded by what he saw and was even more astonished that administrators of football clubs in Georgetown were ignorant of its existence.” Chappel decided that the tournament was worthy of national attention and subsequently wielded his influence as a journalist in the mass media to spread the good word.

This type of intervention was just the injection the K&S organization needed to expand from a small Linden based entity into one of vast national proportions. Kashif related that influential corporate entities started showing an interest in the tournament. These entities sought an audience with K&S to discuss ways of enhancing the tournament through corporate intervention.

Before long, the business entities were lining up to be a part of the tournament. Such viable input enabled organizers to extend the tournament outside the parameters of Linden as well as increase the prize money. The Kashif and Shanghai football tournament was now firmly entrenched in the Guyanese sports calendar.

Integral: Contrastingly, as the K&S tournament took off on a developmental tangent, economic activity in Linden were thrown into turmoil. The hotels were not doing enough business. Jobs were hard to come and almost every experienced vast retrenchment measures. The K&S organizers decided that they would make the tournament into a national affair. Matches were played in Georgetown and its environs.

The tournament was contested in a round robin format, the concomitant result being the two best teams clashing in the finals. Fans from right across Guyana converged in Linden creating lucrative economic benefits for hotels, taxi services as well as other business entities in the mining town.

Critics: Criticisms can build or break an entity. K&S admitted that as soon as they rose to national prominence the critics started having a field day. Some of the remarks sprung from genuine concerns while others were tinged with envy and jealousy. Kashif admitted to feeling troubled by some of the remarks which he considered unfair. He said that all concerns were thoroughly examined and those found to be without merit were expeditiously discarded.

However, there was one major incident that caused and bothered both principals of the K&S organization. The incident occurred in 1999 and involved the two finalists, Topp XX and Fruta Conquerors. The two teams were engaged in a keen tussle for championship honours when towards the end of the game the referee awarded a penalty to Topp XX and the team did not err.

Conquerors’ supporters were incensed and leveled allegations of corruption at the officials. Both Kashif and Shanghai also came in for some criticisms. A subsequent report in the media had accused the K&S principals of match fixing allegations. Kashif said that he had debunked these allegations while adamantly refuting any involvement in such scurrilous activities.

In an effort to address the problems of the public, Kashif highlighted one of the feedback mechanisms put in place by his group. Either he or Shanghai would initiate heated roadside discussions on sensitive issues pertaining to the tournament in order to solicit a wide cross section of views.

They would then take these comments back into their boardroom and examine them in order to enact changes where necessary. Kashif pointed out that there are no unilateral decisions in the K&S organization. All decisions are arrived at through majority consensus. 

Infrastructure:  Over the years the K&S organization has presented a lucrative, action packed package to the Guyanese nation. It started out as a Linden ‘scrubby’ between four teams but has now developed into a gigantic tournament that also involves overseas teams. Corporate Guyana has derived many benefits.

K&S is indeed grateful to all the stakeholders that have joined forces and pitted their resources into the sustenance of the championships. His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo has been singled out for his consistent support. Immediately coming to mind is his timely intervention during the initial stages of the tournament.

The K&S organization was forced to use substandard lighting. Mr Jagdeo came to their rescue and donated adequate lighting. Only last year, when the enactment of the VAT placed the tournament in jeopardy, it was Mr Jagdeo who offered relief by waiving the VAT thus ensuring that the tournament was successfully staged.
Recently, the paucity of adequate seating has been the source of concern. Calls are now being made for the finals, which attracts the biggest crowds, to be shifted from the McKenzie Sports Club (MSC) to the more spacious Providence Stadium. Kashif admitted that there is a dire need to refurbish the facilities at the MSC.

However, he said that his organization is reluctant to support this move because the business community in Linden depends heavily on the economic spin-off of the finals. Notwithstanding this, the K&S organization may very well be forced to take drastic measures as the tournament is quickly outgrowing the inadequate MSC.

Already, the planning for this year’s tournament is in progress. The promoters have committed themselves to the same level of quality that has characterized the tournament. As September comes to a close and October beacons, Santa Claus has begun to hitch Rudolph and his other reindeers to his sleigh. K&S has also begun their Christmas preparations. It is a vast difference from 1989 when 4 teams and 4 thousand persons graced the arena.

---

---