Marketing Director of Digicel Guyana, Jacqueline James, yesterday afternoon created a stir in the auditorium of double defending champions Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS), when she announced the prizes and giveaways that are up for grabs in this year’s fourth annual Digicel nationwide Inter-Secondary School football tournament.
According to James, the winner of this year’s tournament will pocket $1M which will go towards a project within the victorious school that will be beneficial to the students, while members of teams who reached the quarterfinalists, including coaches and teachers, will all receive smart phones.
Also present at yesterday’s launching were Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Gregory Dean, CWSS principal Cleveland Thomas, Regional Chairman of Region 10 Sharma Solomon, Tournament coordinator Lavern Fraser-Thomas, Sponsorship and Events manager Gavin Hope, students and teachers from various schools in the mining town.
After acknowledging and appreciating the fact that CWSS allowed Digicel to host the launching of this year’s championship in their auditorium, the soft-spoken James went on to enlighten her audience about the various changes made for further success of the tournament, including the news of 12 additional schools.
“It’s appropriate for you being the double defending champions, that we launch this tournament here, so I must say thanks to all the students and teachers along with well-wishers for coming out here this afternoon and being a part of this event,” said James.
She added, “Of course as you know, this tournament is being played under the theme, ‘Unite, Develop, Excel’ – in terms of Uniting communities, friends, family and students who share a common passion; Developing our players into becoming stronger and more focused individuals who create bonds and friendship through the teams they would have formed and even those they would have played against.
James said because of the tournament being played under the above-mentioned theme, players were drafted to junior teams who went on to represent Guyana, something that has occurred over the past three years the tournament has been played, for which she extended congratulations.
With the aim of showing her company’s continued commitment to the development of youths and sports in the country and at the same time showing the communities they do care in everything they do, James went on to state the changes made in terms of the prize structure for the tournament.
“There is stiff competition coming on in this year’s competition, with 12 new schools coming out of Region 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10 along with East Bank, East Coast and Georgetown, to compete, bringing the number to 124 schools who have confirmed their participation, in comparison to 150 who battled for supremacy last year.
So far, we held four coaching sessions around the country for teachers and coaches of the various schools, while we will be playing games in new areas this year, such as Annai, Orealla, Waramadong and Moruca, as outlined by Fraser-Thomas,” said James.
As it relates to the prizes for this year’s tournament, not only have the top-placed finishers got an increase, but the second- third- and fourth-placed finishers are set to pocket
$600 000, $400 000 and $250 000, which will all go towards a project in the respective schools. “In addition to the top prize and trophy, this year we are instituting something new to all regional winners, who will be rewarded with a prize of $100 000 that will go towards a project in the school, even if they do not advance to the overall finals.
Additionally, all teams making it to the quarterfinals including the players, coaches and teachers, will receive a Smartphone compliments of Digicel, so I am sure the students will be thrilled to be a part of the tournament this year, as they will have something for themselves coming out of the tournament,” stated James.