Crown Trace was in fine form at Inshan Ali Park on Sunday as competition began in the 2010 edition of the Republic Bank Youth Football Tournament, which attracted 46 teams.
Crown Trace earned the automatic spots in the tournament’s final in both the under-15 and under-17 divisions.
Players from the club’s under-15 team had a very fruitful spell in front of goal during their matches in the first of two groups in their division scoring a total of 20 goals in their four matches, conceding only a single item, ending on 12 points.
The team met Cap Off Youths, which qualified after securing ten points in the second group. Crown Trace won the final 1-0.
In the under-17 division, Crown Trace won four of its five games to total 12 points to top the standings in the round robin competition. St Mary’s United came in a close second with ten points and Valley Line Youths were third on eight points.
W Connection youth team advanced to the final in the under-12 after gathering 12 points in the competition with Ralph’s Coaching School getting the better of the competition in the under-ten category after gaining 14 points from five matches.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Republic Bank Right Start Youth Football tournament, which first started in 1995.
Teams in this year’s tournament will vie for over $70,000 in prizes as well as 120 scholarships valued at $200,000 to the Republic Bank Football Cup, which will be held during the Easter and summer vacation period.
The camps, which are part of Republic’s Power to Make a Difference Programme, was launched in November 2003. The initiative would see $40 million being spent over five years to various community projects and NGO’s.
Seven preliminary rounds will be played throughout T&T with the top ten teams from each age group qualifying for the finals, which will be played on the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain on August 15.