Guinness Street Football, Skills Challenge kicks off tomorrow

The 2014 edition of the Guinness Street Football competition and Skills Challenge are slated to kick off tomorrow.{{more}}

Kelvin Franklyn, marketing coordinator of St Vincent Brewery last week Tuesday announced that the first of six preliminary rounds of competition will take place on Saturday, April 5, at the Chilli Hard Court in Georgetown, with competition to continue in the following weeks until the local finals on Saturday, May 24.“On the 13th of April we have matches in Barrouallie… 17th of April, Union Island and Bequia will embrace the challenge. May the 3rd we have matches in Calliaqua and the 10th of May we have matches in Rose Bank.”

Franklyn announced that the winning team will journey to Trinidad for the regional finals, which takes place at the Jean Pierre Complex on June 6 and 7, and is expected to feature teams from defending champions Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Guyana, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and first timers Jamaica and Barbados.

The local winning team will also receive a cash prize of $5,000.

The marketing executive noted that with anticipation and excitement running high this year, with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil months away, he expects that teams would be vigorously preparing for the local and regional legs of the competition.

“…As players across the Caribbean prepare to showcase the skill and strength of character they’re made of, just like their football heroes.

“We share a deep passion for sports, football in particular, with our consumers, and over the past three years we have not only seen the competition grow, but also the skill level and degree of professionalism by the teams in the events, and that augers well for us….

“Guinness is one of our premium brands and we are happy at the St Vincent Brewery to be a part of this wonderful brand and also to be a part of this street football event…” Franklyn also said.

Nelson Hillocks, the local director of physical education and sports, also speaking at the launch, congratulated the St Vincent Brewery for hosting the tournament for yet another year, as he pledged the support of the Ministry to ensure that the tournament runs as smoothly as possible, and also pledged to commit assistance to the winning team as it prepares for competition in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We are ready to provide our facilities to the Brewery for these zonal competitions to take place, and the grand finals. We are aware of the benefits of sports, we are aware of the ethos of sports, and it’s another opportunity for our young footballers to develop their skills, to display a level of commitment, to show a level of dedication, teamwork, love and unity….”

President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation Venold Coombs considered the competition as a plus for the sport, and said that the Federation was also happy to work along with the Brewery in the exercise and would continue to do so.

He said that he is convinced that the local footballers would have a more successful showing in the regional finals when they get to Trinidad. “I am certain and I have great confidence in our players that we are going to go to Trinidad and retake the championship there.

“We have the ability, and the guys have to make sure that when they go into the Trinidad environment that we play our Vincy style and I know that we are going to be very successful.”