For only the first time, the community-based football teams in southwest Trinidad will compete in a Super League tournament starting next month.
The 2009 Southwest Super League is organised by the La Brea Sports Foundation as part of a project called “Building Communities through Sport”. This project is an effort to use sport to promote community pride and solidarity , especially among the youth.
The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Sport Company have provided sponsorship for the tournament, along with several state-owned companies in the energy sector, including Petrotrin, NEC, Lake Asphalt , Alutrint and NGC.
Several former national players and coaches from the region are also involved in planning and organising the Super League including Brian Williams, Larry Joseph, Edgar Vidale and Muhammed Isa, who is the Tournament Director.
Chairman of the La Brea Sports Foundation Julius Wilson said: “This Super League is the start of a programme to build the communities in Southwest Trinidad through sport.
This part of the country has a great sporting history and we have produced some of the best sportsmen and women in Trinidad and Tobago. “We believe that sport has a positive role to play in community development and we are grateful for the support of the Ministry of Sport and the energy sector companies in the area.
We are also looking at similar programmes next year in netball, basketball ,windball cricket and track and field.” Over $40,000 in prize money will be at stake when the Super League gets going at 3 pm on November 1 at the Point D’Or Recreation ground in La Brea.
The first match of the tournament will feature Mahaica United from Point Fortin against Vance River Ball Stars from La Brea.
Matches will be played at venues throughout southwest Trinidad including the Fyzabad Recreation Ground, the Palo Seco Velodrome and the Fanny Village Recreation Ground in Point Fortin.
The participating teams earned their places through the results in their individual community leagues. The top teams representing Fyzabad are Gons Sports Club and Newcomers FC.
The teams from Santa Flora are Hole Boys and Los Bajos United while the Point Fortin representatives are Mahaica United and Cap-de-Ville Lions . La Brea will be represented by Vance River Juniors and Vance River Ball Stars. Vance River Juniors recently became the 2009 champions of the Alutrint La Brea Football League.
The youthful team captured the title in a narrow 1-0 victory over their arch- rivals Vance River Ball Stars and took home $12,000 in prize money.