Defending champions Leonora Primary will begin their title defence on September 19 when the Courts Optical Under-11 Pee-Wee Schools’ Football Tournament returns for its 13th edition.
The West Demerara school will lead a field drawn from Georgetown and seven other administrative regions at the Ministry of Education Ground.
Leonora captured the previous title after edging St. John the Baptist Primary 6–5 in a dramatic penalty shootout. However, the champions are expected to face strong opposition from several of the country’s established school football programmes.
The provisional field includes teams from Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten. Georgetown will have the largest contingent, with schools from the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara also participating.
The competition will begin with an elimination round to determine the final 32 teams. Those schools will then be divided into eight groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the round of 16.
From there, the title will be decided through straight knockout matches.
Officials at the tournament’s launch said the competition is also intended to support children’s development beyond the football field.
Unicomer Guyana Managing Director Gillian Matthews described the company’s partnership with the Petra Organisation as a sustained investment in children, communities and youth development.
Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca pointed to the tournament’s record of helping young players progress to the national level. Ten members of Guyana’s Caribbean Football Union Under-14 Challenge Series-winning squad previously competed in the Pee-Wee tournament.
Nicholas Fraser, Head of the Ministry of Education’s Unit of Allied Arts, said the competition also gives children an opportunity to remain active, build friendships and learn lessons outside the classroom.
The tournament will conclude on October 24, with prizes awarded to the leading eight schools and outstanding individual performers.
