NSC giving community tournament another go

The National Sports Council continues to keep their eyes on the prize as it relates to the development of our island’s sportspersons as they have kept the ball rolling with the Under-19 Community Football Tournament. Back again after getting off the ground originally last year, the entire island is expected to be swept up with football fever as 30 constituency teams duke it out for top honours.

The tournament, which was conceptualised and birthed in 2018, originally targeted Under-17 teams. However, during a media briefing to reveal details on the 2019 tournament, Chairman of the National Sports Council, Macdonald Fingall explained that the same group of youngsters would be under the microscope again as the organisation sought to reach out to and cater to young persons.

“I also want to announce the Under-19 Community Football Tournament which will start on November 23, 2019 and conclude on January 19th, 2020. The format will be similar to the previous Under-17 tournaments but the age range has risen to Under-19 as the Committee noted that young footballers between 17 and 20 had limited opportunities,” he said.

With several prizes up for grabs at the end of the preliminary and playoff rounds, the tournament is expected to make the job of the national team selectors easier as the young players will be on display.

“This tournament will give young Under-19 footballers an excellent opportunity to showcase and hone their talents through a structured competition and the NSC trusts that it will act as a feeder systems to clubs, youth teams and even the national team,” Fingall said. (MP)