ExxonMobil pumps $4M into Primary School Tapeball Tournament

FL Sport will coordinate the inaugural Future Warriors Tapeball Tournament, a Primary School event that the title sponsor, ExxonMobil, has seen as an investment into youth and their future.

The two-day tournament was officially launched on Thursday at the National Library, Georgetown.

In a pilot initiative, 12 primary schools from Georgetown will compete in the inaugural tournament set for September 9 and 10. The ultimate prize at this point is that the winning team will be ‘adopted’ by the Guyana Amazon Warriors during the home leg.

Amazon Warriors will arrive in Guyana on Monday, September 11, and play their first home match on September 13 and the last group match four days later.

Throughout this period, the winning team will have numerous interactions with the squad. According to Ryan Hoppie, ExxonMobil Guyana Community Relations Advisor, there would be novelty matches between the students and players.

Hoppie related there is more considerable emphasis on ExxonMobil given the benefit of investing in youth and creating a greater interest in the sport.

These comments were amplified by Shaun Massiah, Competition Chairman for the  Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA).

Massiash welcomed the move as clubs seek to boost their youth programme, and with an impending U-13 tournament, he believed this would form a key scouting ground.

Meanwhile, Co-Director for FL Sport, Romario Samaroo explained that the format will be eight overs per side, and a team can field 11 players from their squad of 13. It will be contested on a straight knock-out basis, and boys and girls can form one squad.

On Saturday, all matches will be at the Everest Cricket Club, Camp Road and Carifesta Avenue, while the top three teams progress to the finals at the  Guyana Defence Force Ground, Base Camp Ayanganna, on Sunday.

Both match days commence at 09:00h, and the organisers will provide bats, balls, and transportation free of cost to all of the participating schools, along with various meals and refreshments throughout the playing days.

Some confirmed schools are Graham’s Hall Primary,  St. Margret’s Primary, West Field Prep, Stella Maris Primary, St. Angelas Primary, St. Ambrose, St. Pius Primary, St.  Gabriel’s, Winder Gardens, and F.E Pollard Primary.