Kashif & Shanghai tourney, an export product?
…Antigua staging in the making
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
June 8, 2004
THE popular Kashif & Shanghai football extravaganza will touch another Caribbean island, next year, as an Antiguan team confirms participation in this year’s Christmas staging here.
Martin Caesar, an executive of Guydadli Travellers, yesterday told the media that the club would be fielding a team in the yearend tournament.
Guydadli was the first overseas team to participate in the Christmas Football Festival back in 1995 but the club went through a period of instability but was recently reconstituted. Players of Caribbean affiliation make up the team, including the captain of Antigua’s national team.
The club is also negotiating with the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation (K&S) to stage a similar tournament in Antigua, having been the first body to urge the organisers to take event beyond the shores of Guyana.
Caesar and Kashif & Shanghai are focusing on staging the event in Antigua some time between May and July, next year, just about the start of the football season there.
The Guydadli official disclosed that one of the reasons for wanting the tournament to be staged in Antigua was to showcase Guyanese expertise and talent, which he believed were higher, contrary to statistics.
Caesar said they spoke to president of the Antigua governing football body, Marvin Richards, the brother of Sir Vivian, and he liked the idea.
K& S Director Kashif Mohammed said he would dispatch a letter to Marvin Richards, outlining what the tournament was about and requesting a meeting with him.
Mohammed said as soon as he received a reply, the process would begin.
Asked if there would be three tournaments in a year, Mohammed said it was feasible once sponsorship was available because each one would be spaced out in the year.
“Most of the islands in the Caribbean are big on sponsorship because there are big companies like Cable & Wireless, Digicell, Heineken, among others. So we think, once we can get decent sponsorship, we can make these tournaments happen.”
The promoter pointed out that the Kashif & Shanghai tournament was well organised and could promote Guyana positively.
“We think it is a positive product to export from Guyana. We can make Guyana proud by exporting that tournament, so to speak, to other parts of the Caribbean.”
Mohammed feels that from the tournaments, more talent could be spotted, improve the region’s game and attract international scouts.
The promoter disclosed that at present, negotiations with sponsors were underway and the initial response seemed favourable for the St Lucia tournament.
Mohammed said he also spoke with the president of the St Lucia governing football body who was in favour of the tournament, but no official stamp has yet been issued.
“We got a tentative yes. So we’re going ahead with all the necessary preparation at this point in time.”
So far, a Guyanese All Stars team and one from Martinique will join ten St Lucia teams for a 12-team tournament.
However, invitations letters were dispatched to other islands like Grenada, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Dominica and should they reply within the next two weeks, they could be included.
The organisers wish to plan an excursion to St Lucia so that local fans can be part of that tournament and the cost would be made public.
Mohammed disclosed that he would soon be returning to St Lucia and might stopover in Antigua.
“We are working feverishly to make this happen.”