The Kashif and Shanghai organisation on Wednesday indicated that it will not be hosting its football tournament with any other tournament at the end of the year.
The tournament, which would have been entering its 24th season, should stand on its own and will not be competing with any other tournament at the end of the year or on any revised dates, according to co-director of the K&S Organisation Kashif Muhammad at a press conference at the Water Chris Hotel on Wednesday.
“We are not confident that we will be given the permission, if we are given permission, if the GFA (Georgetown Football Association) is running there tournament parallel, if they are also given permission we will not be doing our tournament.
“If we’re not giving this period and we are giving some other time we’re hearing around we’re not accepting any other times,” Mohammed stressed.
Muhammad also highlighted the reason why the tournament should not be held parallel to any other: “We think it’s disrespectful for football in Guyana, we think it’s disrespectful to the business community, we think it’s disrespectful to the fans, we think it’s disrespectful to the Kashif and Shanghai organization.
“The business community is asking us, gentlemen what protection do we have that this tournament won’t have to split in terms of attendance because there is a parallel tournament running, so it is against this back drop we told them (GFF) that we would like to have our tournament alone,” Mohammed revealed.
Asked on the other hand whether the organisation is willing to go through the correct procedure of the present GFF administration and why they never thought it fit to do same under the Colin Klass administration, Mohammed explained, “After the GFF started seeing our success after year fives, the GFF asked us to collaborate with us… so for five years the tournament was known as the GFF/ the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament.
“They (GFF) never wanted additional financial fees but after the sub associations that represented their teams would want like appearance fee because of GFF involvement, the GFF explained to us pulled out and told us that we would just have to write directly to the GFF,” Mohammed noted.
In addition, Mohammed mentioned that the GFF is reluctant to grant permission for the tournament although the organisers applied through the Guyana Women’s Football Association.
“As we speak there is no reply from the GFF to the women’s association so that we can get together and make plans so that is the position,” Mohammed stated.
Further, Mohammed mentioned that if the tournament is run off, the organisation plans to add a group stage and increase its prize monies, furthering the development of youth football.
“If nothing happens where we will not get the tournament played in December with the required teams and everything we will seriously go into school football,” Mohammed told media representatives.