VETERANS In Sports Inc. (VIS) launched the 6th edition of its football tournament on Wednesday evening at the Sandals Regency Golf and Spa under the theme, “Veterans…We Live On”.
The tournament will begin next Saturday, with a parade of teams and opening ceremony. Following the fanfare, there will be a triple header: the 16th Ball winners will come up against CARICOM Masters from 4:00 p.m., Behind the College All Stars will face Congorians at 6:00 p.m., and Central Vieux Fort and Dennery All Blacks will bring the down the curtains at 8:00 p.m.
Sixteen teams will compete for $30,000 in prize money. This year’s champions will take home $10,000 and the Caribbean Alliance Cup — an increase of $5,000 from last year — with the losing finalists taking home $5,000. The third and fourth place teams will collect $3,000 and $2000 respectively.
For the LIME Plate Championships, the winner will receive $2000, second place $1500 and third and fourth placers $1,000 and $800 respectively.
According to the organizers, the “Hand on the 16th ball” playoff will see La Clery, Canaries and Mon Repos Sharks vie for the final spot and a chance to join the tournament through a three- team round robin scheduled to commence on Tuesday at the Gros Islet playing field under lights. From 7:00 p.m. La Clery will face Canaries; the winner will take on Mon Repos Sharks on Thursday from 7:00 p.m. at the GIPF.
Alvin Malaykhan, Chief Executive Officer of VIS, said, “This press launch represents different things to different people, of course. Some are full of enthusiasm and some have doubts but want to press on regardless. Others like me and my fellow Director, Garvin Niles, have high hopes with few doubts.”
Malaykhan believes the tournament has reached the point where he wants it to be and said exciting football awaits enthusiasts coming to support the various matches. He said he expects nothing less than top quality football throughout the tournament and with a number of new sponsors on board this time around there is a lot at stake.
A whopping 40 matches will be played. Teams are as follows: Group A – Valley Legends, Soufriere Veterans, Vieux Fort South, and Laborie Veterans. Group B – Congorians, VSADC, BTC All Stars, and Lancers FC. Group C – Central Vieux Fort, Gros Islet Veterans, Dennery All Blacks, and Micoud Veterans and Group D – Anse la Raye, CARICOM Masters, Prophets and Kings, and the 16th Ball winners.
The tournament takes a break for the festive season following matches on Sunday, December 11 and will resume on January 7 with quarterfinal matches in the Plate Championship.
