Petra/MOE commissions lights at Ministry’s Ground on Carifesta Avenue
Oct 04, 2017 , https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...on-carifesta-avenue/
The Petra organization has collaborated with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to help bring development to football in Guyana with a public-private partnership that will not only benefit the ball weavers but sports in general, as another ground has been fashioned with lights.
That ground is the Ministry of Education’s School Sports Complex on Carifesta Avenue, which through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) saw Petra investing approximately $3.8 million, to install lights, in exchange for permission to host their tournaments at a reduced cost at the facility.
Co-director of Petra, Troy Mendonca, whose company which has organized, futsal, soft-shoe, pee wee, under-18 and senior club football tournaments consistently and successfully for the past seven (7) years in Guyana, was elated during the simple commissioning ceremony of the lights, at the ground Monday night.
Speaking in the presence of the Minister of Education Nicolette Henry, head of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and some of Petra’s corporate sponsors, Mendonca explained that, “We (Petra) have been using this facility for the past five years with the blessings of the Ministry (MOE) to host the Milo under-18 football tournament and the Smalta school tournament and it has been during these years that we saw the need for lights, especially with the convenience it brings. It was against that backdrop that we took the opportunity to establish a public-private relationship between Petra and the Ministry of Education that will benefit the entire sports fraternity.”
Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, hailed the end product of her Ministry’s MOU with Petra, “The commissioning of the lights certainly indicates a culmination of partnership between sports and education. It also in many way signals the beginning of a new pathway with an improved facility for sport and I want to thank Petra for their partnership and all the sponsors involved.”
The GFF was represented by their head, Wayne Forde, who related with glee that Petra is an enduring friend of football in Guyana and of the Guyana Football Federation, “Their focus on youth development is one that is unmatched by any sports organisation in Guyana. Much of the work that Petra does compliments that of the GFF. I’m happy to see that all the work this company is doing in organizing competitions and ensuring that football is being played across all levels in their organizing capacity have now been complimented with them going the extra mile in having the facility they mainly utilize being played lit.”
Ansa Mcal, sponsors of the Petra organized, Smalta girls Pee wee football tournament and one of the entities that contributed to this Lights project being a reality, was represented by brand manager Sean Abel. Being visibly happy, Abel stated, “I know that these lights will help the development of youths as well as football and naturally, Ansa Mcal is happy to partner with Petra in this venture because of all the good things they have been doing.”
The newly lit facility will taste action on Friday night when the first matches of the Turbo Knockout football tournament gets underway.
