2017 Paiwomak Cup Football Tournament…Kwatamang FC crowned male champions, Annai United take female title

Oct 30, 2017 Sports

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The 30th September 2017 marked the end of the second edition of the Paiwomak Cup football Tournament which saw Kwatamang and Annai United being crowned male and female champions respectively. Organized by North Rupununi’s premier football club the Paiwomak Warriors FC, the tournament saw the participation of five male and five female teams and was played under the theme “building a future generation of leaders through football and education”.

The male final was played before a capacity crowd at the Annai Sports Ground and had in attendance President of the Guyana Football Federation Mr. Wayne Forde who created history by becoming the first ever sitting GFF President to visit the North Rupununi, and President of the Rupununi Football Association Mr. Ken Grant. Kwatamang drew first blood against a talented Three Hills outfit when tournament MVP Marcus Pervan was fastest to a loose ball in the box and rifled a shot into the top left hand corner in the 3rd minute. Kwatamang then doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute with a Carlie Jackson strike from the edge of the eighteen yard box. But Three Hills, with national Under-15 Winger Orvil Daniels and reserve national Under-15 goalkeeper Leston Smith in their ranks, managed to pull a goal back in the 78th minute courtesy of a Jasu Xavier strike. Kwatamang, however, showed defensive resolve to hold on to their lead and claim championship honours.
In the female Final, strikes on either side of half time by Fiona Sandy and Garcia Joel respectively ensured that Annai United successfully retained their crown from 2016 by comfortably beating Kwatamang 2-0.
In the third place male playoff Annai United males defeated West Madrid 2-1 with Samalson Mack and Shawn Browne on the score sheet for Annai United and Erwin Jacobs scoring the lone goal for West Madrid. In the third place female playoff, Three Hills, courtesy of a Luwanna Vanlong hat-trick defeated Crashwater 3-1. Avaia Merriman was the goal scorer for Crashwater.
Kwatamang male team walked away with the winning cash prize of $50,000 and the first place trophy, while second placed Three Hills pocketed $40,000 and the second place trophy. Annai United females pocketed $50,000 and the first place trophy for their efforts with Kwatamang pocketing $40,000 and the second place trophy. The third and fourth placed teams (male and female) pocketed $30,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Alex Jackson and Merilyn Brown of Kwatamang were adjudged the best goal keepers (male and female) of the tournament, while the highest goal scorer awards (male and female) went to Samanta Roberts of Three Hills with seven goals for the tournament and Shawn Browne of Annai United with eight goals respectively. Jacklyn Williams of Annai United was adjudged female MVP of the tournament, while Marcus Pervan of Kwatamang was adjudged male MVP. Each of the individual awardees was presented with a trophy and pocketed the sum of $5,000 each.
Sponsorship for the tournament was provided by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, JAG’s Minimart and Boutique, J&B Shop, Bharrat Chintaman and family, Wesley Roberts and family and Odessa Ross. The Guyana Football Federation also came on board and donated medals, the first place trophies, balls, referee uniforms, training bibs and water bottles.

The Paiwomak Cup tournament ultimately serves as a talent identification initiative, whereby young players are identified for possible selection to the North Rupununi Academy Training Centre as well as the identification of new players to join the ranks of the Paiwomak first team (male and female). The Club which was formed in 2015 has already racked up an impressive list of achievements in the Rupununi which includes winning the2016 Rupununi Football Association League (females), placing second in the National Women’s Development League, winning the regional phase of the NAMILCO Under-17 Tournament, winning the 2016 Surama Cup tournament (male and female), runners up in the 2017 Rupununi Football Association Champions League (males), and male and female winners of the 2017 Regional Heritage Championships.
In addition, two of the Club’s players were called up for trials with the senior Lady JAGS national team and another, fifteen year old winger Orvil Daniels is already well known at the national U15 and U17 levels for his exploits on the football pitch. Attention will now turn to the Club’s Under-15 and Under-17 teams as they prepare to do battle for glory in the regional playoffs of the GFF/Namilco Under-17 Intra Association and GFF/Pele Alumni “Frank Watson” U15 Inter Club Football tournaments.

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