Return to Sporting Paradise, that’s the tagline for the games, as sport event management organisation SW Touring, in conjunction with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), host its third annual Tobago Invitational Masters football tournament.
Teams will be vying for over in US$4,000 in cash prizes, trophies, medals, and undisputed over 40 football bragging rights for the next 12 months. The 11-a-side tournament will run for two days, October 11 & 12.
It will be held at the community-based Black Rock and Plymouth Recreational Grounds and will feature 12 local and regional teams, with each allowed to register 25 players. Individual trophies will be awarded in the following categories; leading goal scorer (golden boot), best goal keeper (golden gloves) and most valuable player (MVP).
The third edition has ten teams competing over a two-day period with former St Vincent and the Grenadines prolific striker Kendell Velox leading Juventus of St John’s (Trinidad) to a thrilling tournament finals victory over the hard fighting Trinidad-based Defence Force Masters.
“This year our goal was to feature increase of numbers from 10 to 12 teams with our 5-year plan being a total of 20-24 teams,” said tournament secretariat Leslieann Jobe-Edwards. She further added, “We have met that quota with teams from other Caribbean islands still expressing interesting in being apart of the venture. This is due to our regional based marketing campaign which began at the beginning of the year.
Additionally, the top four teams from the 2013 edition of the Tobago Masters football league will be representing the sister isle.”
These include Pheonix 1976 (Canaan/Bon Accord); featuring assemblyman Huey Cadette, secretary of the Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports (DEYAS), Lambeau Legends Northside Allstars and Breakaway international.
The tournament is part of the THA’s sport tourism initative to assist with inter- and intra-island transfers to the island through sports.
In keeping with the 2014 theme “Sporting Paradise—The Return”, the tournament seeks to expose participants and spectators to the unique identity of Tobago’s culture, entertainment and culinary masterpieces.