bpTT-All Mayaro Sports Foundation football league kicks off on November 14

A Mayaro Under-23 men’s XI defeated the women’s senior national football team 2-0 in an exhibition match to kick start this year’s bpTT-All Mayaro Sports Foundation football league at the area’s Resource Centre on November 8.

Throughout the game, the women dominated possession and impressed the Mayaro crowd with fluent passing and aggressive play. However, the Mayaro XI put up a solid defence that denied the women chances in the box during the first half of the fixture.

Midway through the first half, a blazing strike by 18-year-old Kylon Mitchell put the Mayaro team ahead and the scored remained 1-0 going into halftime.

The national footballers came out in full force in the second half and created chances, including a missed penalty. However, it was a strike in the dying minutes of the game by talented 16-year-old Ezekiel Morris, that sealed the fate of the national women’s team and gave a comprehensive victory to the ‘best of Mayaro’ youth team.

Sponsored by energy company bpTT and managed by the All Mayaro Sports Foundation (AMSF), this competition has been a landmark event in the Mayaro sporting calendar for the past 27 years.

Featuring teams from across the south-eastern region, the tournament will feature an open-competition format where players of any age can register on teams to compete in the Razack Jan Memorial League and the Leston Paul Knockout Cup.

With eight regional teams registered thus far, the league competition officially kicks off on November 14.

In formally opening the league, Matthew Pierre, bpTT’s community liaison coordinator, spoke on the rich footballing legacy of the community.

“Our community has fielded national players including Leston Paul, Peter Alfred, Collin Samuel, Anthony Wolfe, Lindy Prince and Ryan Stewart,” he said.

“I am proud to say that the senior national women’s team playing today features homegrown talent, Chrissy Mitchell. We have a proud legacy of footballing excellence, and bpTT is here to lend support and ensure that our proud football heritage continues.”

This year, as part of larger plans for youth development, the competition will feature a bpTT-AMSF Youth Football Festival that will see U17 male and female players compete in a two-day extravaganza at the Mayaro Resource Centre.

The event is also being hosted to raise breast cancer awareness, and will feature Miss Mayaro T’Mia Francis as event ambassador. The closing ceremony of the youth festival will also pay homage to female national footballers and festival awardees.

Interweaving his roles as TTFA vice-president and AMSF chairman, Jameson Rigues said this football league represents the culmination of hard work from persons across this community, who have united in their efforts to keep sport at the Mayaro level of excellence.

“We must thank bpTT for continuing to invest in all aspects of our community, which includes the TT$5 million upgrade to the world-class facilities at the Mayaro Resource Centre,” Rigues said. “All we can do is continue to repay their investment by creating opportunities for Mayaro’s youth to shine and make TT proud.”