Pyola to represent SVG in GSFC in St Lucia

Pyola, the local winners of the 2016 Guinness Street Football Challenge (GSFC), will represent St Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2016 Guinness Street Football Challenge regional finals in St Lucia.{{more}}

Pyola, a Layou team, defeated Mad Rockers, another Layou team in the local finals, which took place in Barrouallie on Thursday, June 9.

The grand Caribbean finals of the 2016 Guinness Street Football Challenge (GSFC) will kick off in fine style in St Lucia next month and will run from July 2 to July 3. The winning team will get a dream prize trip to Brazil.

This year, teams from 11 countries will vie for the chance to win the all-expenses paid trip to Brazil, the mecca of football. The winners will also receive tickets to a major game in Rio de Janeiro.

“With this exciting grand prize to Brazil, Guinness has heightened the competitive stakes, setting the stage for a series of thrilling showdowns,” said regional commercial manager at the St Vincent Brewery Ltd Shafia London-Williams.

London-Williams said that the Guinness Street Football Challenge is into its sixth consecutive year and has flourished into a highly anticipated fixture on sports calendars.

“In 2015, community football teams representing the various Caribbean islands delivered exhilarating performances, as they competed for thousands of dollars in cash prizes and the opportunity to be crowned champions. At last year’s Caribbean Finals in Kingston, Jamaica, the St Lucia Veterans dethroned former champions Trinidad and Tobago, when they emerged victorious against the Barbados Arm Units with a commanding 4-1 victory.

As the reigning Guinness Street Football Challenge champion island, this year St Lucia will be the host of the event that will decide which island can boast of being the finest street football team in the region”, said London-Williams who noted that SVG placed fourth last year.

The teams will be hosted at the upscale St Lucian by Rex Resorts, one of the most prominent all-inclusive destinations on the island.

In addition to St Lucia, participating country teams include Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the newest country to join the line-up, Curaçao.

Pyola’s players are Lemus Christopher, Jalen Miller, Kevin Samuel, Dequan Springer, Kendal Douglas, Javid Matthews and Tevin John. The team’s manager is Andre Robinson and the coach is Javi John.