By Kiana Wilburg
After a 14-year absence from the football scene, the legendary Kashif & Shanghai Organization is back. For the holidays, the sports-loving duo is hosting the country’s largest ever Futsal Championship which will see 640 players vying for glory, trophies and grand cash prizes.
In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Standard, Co-founder, Kashif Muhammad underscored that this re-entry into sports scene will demonstrate to all and sundry, why the K&S Organization is unmatched in its events coordination skills and its commitment to the development of Guyanese talent.
Muhammad was keen to note that this dedication to football is shared with his dear friend, brother and business partner, Aubrey Shanghai Major. Their friendship he said, took root in Linden, their shared hometown.
Back in 1989, Muhammad recalled that he was the president of a football club in Linden while Shanghai headed a rival club. He said they would usually travel to Georgetown to partake in contests during the Christmas season, then return to Linden.
“One time I told him, instead of us going to Georgetown for entertainment, why don’t we put our two teams together, put up a prize, and play for it on Boxing Day since Linden had nothing happening that day,” said Muhammad.
He added, “We started with two games on Boxing Day, and the winners played the finals on New Year’s Day. That marked the start of the Kashif and Shanghai tournament, beginning in 1989 and concluding the first year in 1990.”
With a smile that was clearly evoked by the blissful adrenaline rush of those days, Muhammad noted that he and his partner were able to expand their tournament to include Georgetown teams like Santos and Campton. Later, they brought international teams from Antigua, Trinidad & Tobago, and Suriname. Eventually, Muhammad said the K&S Tournament was forced to move to Georgetown as the facilities in their hometown became too small to accommodate the massive jump in participation of teams and attendance by fans.
This move he said also allowed for the organization to host Football legend, King Pele in 2009. The Brazilian football icon had attended the opening ceremony for the 20th edition of the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament at the Guyana National Stadium. The event was one that signaled to the nation that Kashif and Shanghai, was the gold standard, the benchmark, the crème de la crème of sports organizations.
Despite the outstanding work done by this organization for the development of Guyana’s footballers, it faced brutal opposition starting in 2010. “From 2010 to 2015, we faced several political challenges. I publicly supported the PPP government, and the PNC leaders protested our tournaments, discouraging attendance. We even lost access to venues especially during the 2015-2020 period,” Muhammad shared.
When the PPP/C government returned to office in 2020, Muhammad said “there was a complete 360”, a tidal wave of support. “…Now, we’re back with a national futsal championship featuring 64 teams, the largest turnout in this country’s history!”
Muhammad said he is grateful for the opportunity to showcase the capabilities of his organization and to return to what he and his dear friend enjoy doing most—contributing to the development of sports in Guyana.
He was keen to recall that during the formative years of the Kashif and Shanghai Organization, they were able to send 56 players to Trinidad and Tobago for training, some of whom advanced internationally.
“During our peak, Guyana’s FIFA ranking improved, moving from 186 to 86. Through our tournaments, I am also proud to share that we have given back over $100M in prize money…
“We are all about supporting our players and ensuring they have access to opportunities that take them up the ladder of success and that’s why I am overjoyed that we can come back bigger and better than ever and what better time to do this than now, during the holidays…” said Muhammad.
The tournament, which kicked off on November 20, will see several matches being played today and tomorrow, with the finals being held on January 3. The champion team will walk away with $2 million while the runner-up will receive $1 million. Teams finishing in third and fourth place will take home $500,000 and $200,000, respectively. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the men’s competition will be rewarded with a motorcycle, compliments of the Guyana Energy Conference & Supply Chain Expo.
Patrons can enjoy games set for today and tomorrow the newly refurbished Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Homestretch Avenue, starting 8pm. Muhammad said he would encourage persons to come out and celebrate the talent of these young men and women, stating “their hard work and dedication deserve our recognition. Let’s fill the stands and make this holiday season truly special through the spirit of sport.”
