All set for Guinness Cage football kick-off

By Treiston Joseph

Banks DIH Limited in collaboration with Three Peat Promotions will host the first-ever Guinness Cage small-goal football tournament at the National Gymnasium with kick-off set for Thursday (August 24) evening.

At the launching on Wednesday at the Windjammer International Hotel, representative of Three Peat Promotions, Rawle Welch, noted that the tournament was birthed through a conversation with himself and a colleague who then approached Brand Manager of Guinness, Lee Baptiste, for sponsorship.

Welch also highlighted that it was a struggle to get the requisite permission to host the tournament because of the current rise of indoor football in the nation.

Nevertheless, Welch pinpointed that all the necessary requirements have been met for a successful hosting of the event when it commences on Thursday.

Technical Director of the event, Wayne Griffith, highlighted some of the rules, the most important being that the ball will always be live expect for if it exits the cage.

Administrator of the National Sports Commission, Gervy Harry, stressed the importance of safety at the event while noting that football and futsal need a “culture change.”

The tournament will start with 32 teams and after the first two nights of action will be reduced to just 16. There will be a group stage after the first two nights of action followed by the knockout stage just before the final on September 16.

Over $800,000 in prize monies and trophies will be up for grabs with the winner set to receive $400,000 and the championship trophy, while second, third and fourth placed finishers will take home $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 along with trophies respectively.

Action on each night is expected to begin at 20:00h with $500 being the admission fee up until the final.