September 23, 2019; St. George, Grenada: Twenty–two (22) schools, 50 teams and over 1000 players are vying to top the 16th annual Republic Bank RightStart Cup Youth Football Tournament for 2019. After a pre-mature end to the 2018 season, the Bank and tournament organizers, the Ministry of Sports, are preparing for a keenly contested competition and friendly rivalry; as the teams take to the field for the Opening matches this Thursday, September 26, 2019.
Commenting at the Launch last Thursday, Mrs. Shaeen Ghouralal, General Manager – Credit, at Republic Bank announced: “October 15th marks Republic Bank’s 40th year of service excellence in Grenada; and the “RightStart Cup” remains one of our flagship community outreach initiatives under the Power to Make A Difference brand; and one which we are immensely proud to support.”
Tournament Coordinator, Findley Fletcher gave an overview of the structure of the tournament; highlighting a major change this year, which will see the Senior Boys playing in “A” & “B” divisions; while the Junior Boys will play in 4 zones. The Girls Open category will remain in 2 zones.
The RightStart Cup is seen as a key training ground for National team selections; providing development opportunities for many young aspiring footballers over the years. Kaizar Clyne, the leading scorer from last year’s tournament, is presently on trials in Germany, along with four other colleagues; while Josh Gabriel holds a spot on the National squad. These are just a few of the persons who have moved through the ranks of the RightStart Cup to higher pursuits in the football arena. The Tournament can boast many other young footballers that have advanced to the higher levels of play over the years.
Hon. Kate Skeeter Lewis, Minister with responsibility for Youth Development in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports, Culture & the Arts, expressed her gratitude to Republic Bank for being an ardent supporter: “Thank you for your support and not giving up on our Youth” she expressed. Minister Lewis shared that this tournament is an opportunity for our youth to showcase talent and grow. She also used the opportunity to urge the participants to “give their best, respect the officials, fellow teammates, opponents and most of all, themselves”.
The 2019 RightStart Cup kicks off with the March Pass and Opening Ceremony on Thursday September 26th at the Cuthbert Peters Park in Gouyave; starting at 12noon.
Two matches will follow: In the Junior Boys division, Bishop’s College will play against Presentation Brother’s College; followed by the Senior Boys, where Happy Hill Secondary School will come up against St. John’s Christian Secondary School. The opening matches will stream live on FACEBOOK @republicbankgrenada and @tandrcoms.
Anguilla
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Ghana
Guyana
St. Kitts & Nevis 
St. Lucia
Sint Maarten
St. Vincent & the 
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
