Eight secondary schools will compete in the seventh edition of the Republic Bank Under-18 Secondary Schools’ Football League, which kicks off on October 18 and offers a pathway to the KFC International Goodwill Tournament in December.
The competition, organised by the Petra Organisation, was launched Thursday at Republic Bank’s New Market Street head office. The seven-week tournament will be played every Sunday at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue, with the final round scheduled for November 29.
The participating schools are Chase Academic Foundation, Santa Rosa Secondary, Three Miles Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Annandale Secondary, Charlestown Secondary, West Ruimveldt Secondary and St Joseph High School.
Chase Academic Foundation enter as defending champions after winning all seven matches in the 2025 competition. The school has already qualified for the December international tournament as defending KFC champions. If Chase retain the domestic title, the international qualification place available through this league will go to the runners-up.
Republic Bank Guyana Managing Director Dr Toussant Boyce said the bank was pleased to continue supporting the competition and creating opportunities for young people through sport.
“So, when I say that this tournament showcases some of the finest young football talent across Guyana, it’s because I’ve seen it last year, and I look forward to seeing it again this year,” Dr Boyce shared. “So, we are proud as Republic Bank to once again support this initiative and to play a role in creating opportunities for you, our nation’s youth, both on and off the field.”
He encouraged the players to recognise the potential significance of the tournament, particularly the opportunity to represent Guyana internationally.
“Each of these teams, you’ve earned your place through hard work, commitment and determination, and over the coming weeks, you will not only compete for the championship, but you will also have the opportunity to represent Guyana on the international stage, and I can tell you that that should be a life-changing event for those of you who get the opportunity to make it.”
Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca highlighted the importance of structured competition in developing young footballers and preparing them for regional challenges.
“Any administrator will tell you that competition is a key aspect in administrating football, much less a league,” Mendonca explained.
He also thanked Republic Bank for its continued sponsorship, noting that the organisation’s defending champions had performed successfully at international level against teams from countries with established school football programmes.
Representing the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Director of Youth Suresh Singh pointed to investments in community sports facilities and encouraged young people to make use of the available infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Education Ministry Allied Arts Head Nicholas Fraser endorsed the competition, emphasising the role of school sports in teaching discipline and fair play.
“The principles of fair play, discipline. These are important elements you can learn from sport, and we as a Ministry of Education understand they are very difficult to teach in front of a chalkboard.”
The league also offers financial rewards for school development. The champions will receive $400,000 towards a project of their choice, while the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will receive $250,000, $125,000 and $75,000, respectively.
The competition is expected to provide the participating schools with a platform to develop their players, strengthen school football and compete for a place at the international tournament in December.
