TODAY at the Phillip Marcelin Grounds, the exciting Blackheart Knockout Football Tournament returns and from all indications, it will be even better than in previous years. That’s the consensus following Wednesday evening’s official draw at AubergeSeraphine Hotel.
This year’s tournament – the fifteenth edition, which has a tagline, “Football is Life” — features 16 district teams playing under a knockout basis for the top prize of $30,000 and the massive championship trophy.
From 6:30 p.m. today, Central Castries play Dennery, while Canaries clash with Mon Repos at 8:30 p.m.
On Sunday, from 6:30 p.m., it’s the “Battle of the Valleys” as Mabouya play Roseau while in an all-Vieux Fort derby, defending champions Vieux Fort South and Vieux Fort North face off at 8:30 p.m.
Both the Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) and Blackheart Productions management have had their differences over the years relating to the tournament, but on Wednesday evening it seemed all had been forgotten.
President of the SLFA, Lyndon Cooper said, “The association is once again pleased to partner with Blackheart Productions in the staging of this annual tournament. We will not go back into the past in terms of the road it took to get there. The important thing is we are here and as we have indicated that the winner is football.”
“The last eight or ten years has nothing to do with me being president of the SLFA and the success of Blackheart. It has to do with the organization of Blackheart, who have recognized to move forward. There must be a cordial relationship and the friendship must be built on mutual respect and openness. On this 15th anniversary, I want to say well done, Christopher. We hope we can extend it to another 15 years,” Cooper added.
This year, Cooper said, has been the most difficult year for football, especially in terms of indiscipline in the sport. Football must be seen as a vehicle for social change, he said, and “football has to reach the hearts and minds of every person where normal life cannot reach.”
“Once you are going to use football as a vehicle to settle fights, to settle political or tribal or gang warfare, nobody should see football as a sport to settle any dispute,” Cooper said.
CEO of Blackheart Production, David Christopher, indicated that over the last twenty years, the SLFA/Blackheart Productions collaboration has brought about huge development in the sport on the island and so, too, the development in a number of individuals in recent years.
He cited the motivation to host a tournament much like what he saw in Guyana that exported Saint Lucian talents such as Zane Pierre to an international market. He also spoke about Blackheart’s development of a young announcer affectionately known as the “Lucian Chiney”, who was called upon by CONCACAF to be an announcer at the recently-completed Under-17 qualifiers last month.
Christopher singled out Tennyson Glasgow, who has developed as a sportscaster and analyst, and Victorin Lawrence of the SLFA, who is now the island’s premier match commissioner.
Christopher said Blackheart Productions will continue to work closely with the SLFA to crack down on the upsurge of indiscipline in football. He also thanked all sponsors thus far for their support to the tournament.
