THE eight Inter-Block Football programme organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) will kick-off on Saturday with a double header at the Plaisance Community Centre ground.

The feature match brings together 40 Block and Scheme from 20:00h, while the curtain raiser which is scheduled for 18:00h will see 110 Street tackling Ogle/Industry.

According to Parliamentary Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steve Ninvalle, this programme will involve teams from the Plaisance/Industry community and follows closely on the Buxton/Friendship Inter-Block tournament which will culminate on Saturday at the Buxton ground where Middle Walk will face Friendship Front for the $50,000 first prize money.

The loosing team will be rewarded with $20,000 for their efforts.
The first prize money is being sponsored by Household Plus while King Solomon Enterprise is sponsoring the second place prize.

Ninvalle who will be on hand to kick start the Plaisance programme on Saturday evening, is the driving force behind the country wide inter-Block tournaments.

In the feature match on Saturday, 40 Block will be spearheaded by Kerwin Bacchus while support from Anthony Marks, while Scheme will be led by veteran Gavin Huntley.

Ogle/Industry will be captained by Vinood Ishwerdim.
According to Ninvalle, when the programme was launched in March of this year, there were some teething problems which have since been sorted out and according to him, residents of the communities involved to date have been very enthusiastic and supportive of the tournaments. “They are coming out in their numbers in support of the tournaments’ which according to the former sports journalist are attracting players who are well into their 40’s and this according to him, is very good.

Ninvalle said some of these over-40 players take along their families to see them play and this is good for the sport, the programme and Guyana as a whole.

The Parliamentary Secretary reminded that sport is a vehicle that can unite a country since camaraderie evolves from such activities. “So this is the first step in a long haul.”

The Ministry of Sports’ programme was first launched in the BV/Triumph community in March this year and since then, similar programmes were held in Madia, West Demerara, Berbice and Linden.

The Ministry also conducted training camps for male and female footballers between the ages of 11 to 14 years of age.

One such camp was held at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and others at Blairmont, West Coast Berbice, Agricola, Mahadia and Linden.

Similar programmes which will be conducted by the Ministry’s coach Dennis ‘Chow’ Hunte are planned for the Corentyne in Berbice and Lethem where an Inter-Bock competition will be held later this month.

These training camps are a part of the Ministry’s plan to develop football at the grass roots level throughout Guyana.

Ninvalle also disclosed that very soon his Ministry will launch an Inter-Block or Inter-Village table tennis programme and training camps and these will be conducted by national table tennis coach Linden Johnson.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Secretary promised to work with the Plaisance/Industry Neighbourhood Democratic Council to have a cricket pitch laid at the Plaisance Community Centre ground.