A massive field of 118 teams from eight regions will chase honours in the newly launched ExxonMobil Guyana Under-18 Schools Football Tournament, with organisers hoping the competition will provide young players with a clearer route towards senior football.

The Vurlon Mills Football Academy-organised tournament was officially launched yesterday  morning at Cara Lodge in Georgetown and will feature 68 male teams and 50 female teams in a straight-knockout format.

The first matches will be played in Bartica on October 2, while the larger programme of fixtures around the country will begin from October 9.

VMFA Director Vurlon Mills believes the Under-18 age group represents a critical point in a footballer’s development and said the new competition is intended to give players meaningful opportunities as they prepare to move beyond the youth level.

“Under-18 football is one of the most important stages in a young player’s development,” Mills said. “At this age, players are moving beyond learning the fundamentals of the game and beginning to understand what it means to compete and to prepare themselves for senior football.”

According to Mills, players can experience difficulties when moving from youth to senior football without consistent competitive opportunities, making the new tournament an important part of VMFA’s efforts to develop a more connected pathway.

The initiative is not limited to football development, with academics and attendance also incorporated into the wider concept.

The tournament will take matches into several communities, allowing families, schools and supporters to become directly involved instead of concentrating the competition in one location.

“This tournament should become an opportunity to bring people together, inspire young children and demonstrate what is possible,” Mills said.

Lead Coordinator Lavern Fraser outlined the competition format, number of participating teams and important dates during Thursday’s launch.

The tournament also received backing from several key sporting and education stakeholders.

Nicholas Fraser of the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Unit said schools football in Guyana was at an all-time high and pointed to the addition of the ExxonMobil competition as another positive step for the sport at school level.

Guyana Football Federation General Secretary Pushpargha Chattopadhyay pledged the Federation’s support and disclosed that scouts will be present at matches as officials look for promising players who could potentially advance within the local football structure.

That scouting component adds another dimension to a tournament already designed to help young players make the difficult transition from school and youth football into higher levels of the game.

Ryan Hoppie said the long-term effect on participating students and their communities should be the real measure of the tournament’s success.

He said the “real victory” would be the impact created for young people throughout Guyana, with the competition helping to develop football “one school at a time, one community at a time.”

Hoppie added that the tournament’s success should ultimately be judged by the opportunities created for players, the students inspired and the stronger foundation developed for football across the country.

Assistant Director of Sport Franklin Wilson also addressed the launch and expressed similar support for the developmental opportunities the tournament is expected to provide.

Mills, meanwhile, challenged the players to embrace the opportunity of representing their schools and to maintain the right standards throughout the competition.

“To the players, remember that wearing your school colours is an honour. Compete with passion, but compete with discipline,” he said.

With male and female teams drawn from most of Guyana’s administrative regions, the tournament will now move quickly from Thursday’s launch into competition, beginning in Bartica on October 2 before expanding across the country from October 9.