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| The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance - John F. Kennedy |
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Primary Schools Football: NBA Sponsors 18th Annual Competition |
| Publishing date: 10.11.2006 10:04 |
Coronation Park in The Valley is a riot of colour each afternoon as primary school students in bright uniforms battle for the championship in the 2006 Football Competition sponsored by the National Bank of Anguilla Limited.
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Mr. Rey (at mic) other Education & Bank officials
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The matches, involving participating teams from the six Government Primary Schools and the Central Baptist Christian School, commenced on November 3 and will continue until December 2 when there will be a presentation and closing ceremony.
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Mr. Marcel Fahie kicks 1st ball
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NBA’s Director, Marcel Fahie, noted that the first students to participate in the competition when it started were now adults in their 20s and perhaps as old as 30 and well-experienced footballers. “I can say therefore that we have created a tradition and you represent at least a second generation of students being sponsored by NBA,” he told the youngsters.
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Some of the participating young footballers
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“At the end of the day there will only be one champion but all of you are winners if you take part in the competition with zeal and enthusiasm; if you do your best, observe the rules, behave yourselves and represent your schools well,” he went on. “Football is going from strength to strength in Anguilla and the Football Association is now building a modern, state-of-the-art stadium with funding from the International Football Federation. It means that if you continue with your football, you will have better facilities when that stadium is built where you can develop your skills and attend workshops.”
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Some of the participating young footballers
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Permanent Secretary, Rodney Rey, represented Minister of Sports, Evans Rogers. “All of Anguilla knows that NBA’s support for sports as a vehicle of social development is legendary. In fact, NBA’s investment in sports and human development over the past 20 years is unequalled in Anguilla,” Mr. Rey remarked. “This is remarkable for a bank that is a single branch and uni-national, unlike other banks, yet its contribution to sports and social development in Anguilla is unequalled.”
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Some of the participating young footballers
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The Permanent Secretary continued: “The decision to invest in sports development is a credit to the vision of the Directors, Management and Staff of the National Bank of Anguilla. They understand that people, like money, matter and that there is an intimate relationship between economic and social development. They also understand that the quality of life of Anguillians affects the quality of the business of the bank. In short, Anguilla’s success is NBA’s success. The Ministry of Social Development is therefore very pleased to be associated with NBA in its social development programmes, particularly those aimed at or targeting young people.
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Some of the participating young footballers
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“In Anguilla today we are at the stage where Government and the private sector need to do a lot more in sports and to do it more quickly. The Government of Anguilla is committed to an ambitious programme of sports development in 2007.
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Some of the participating young footballers
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“Our plans include, but not limited to, the following: continued support for the Anguilla Tennis Academy now under construction; significant capital investment in the Anguilla Football Association’s Stadium and Technical Centre now being built; construction of a state-of-the-art National Indoor Gymnasium with support from an American friend in Anguilla and a friend of the Anglican Church; the development of a specialised athletic field in the Cauls Bottom area; construction of a modern cricket pavilion at the Webster Park that meets international standards; construction of basketball courts in North Side and South Valley; upgrading of all school grounds, school and community playing-fields; and the construction of the Campus B Auditorium, a state-of- the-art facility for indoor school and community sporting activities…We also hope to restructure the administration of sports and to tap into the resources of the region as far away as Cuba for qualified coaches and trainers to harness the skills of our athletes.”
Rey encouraged the students “to play the game hard, but fairly.”
The ceremony was chaired by Marisa Gumbs, NBA’s Marketing and Business Development Officer. The Opening Prayer was delivered by Manager, Accounts, Bernadine Horsford and the Vote of Thanks was given by Tamesha Ible-Richardson, Proof Data Processing Clerk.
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Some of the participating young footballers
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