Georgetown contingent seeks redemption

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets”…

As preparations intensify for this weekend’s start of the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” national play-offs, the excitement associated with the event has reached fever-pitch and fans are eagerly awaiting the commencement of play.
The Guinness-sponsored street tournament, now in its ninth Edition, has become the most talked-about event in the shorter version of the game, and the organisers cognisant of this fact have been steadily looking at ways to improve the experience for spectators, while also seeking to increase the lucrative prize monies that are on offer.
Georgetown teams have generally ruled the roost in the competition’s history, but Linden’s Dave & Celena All Stars ended that dominion last year and will no doubt be aiming to duplicate that performance to erase any lingering suspicion of a fluke.
On the other hand, with Georgetown’s aura slightly tarnished, other zone winners will feel inspired by the Lindeners’ performance and raise their level of play as well to ensure that the trophy goes elsewhere.
However, this could instigate the cadre of teams that has qualified to represent Georgetown to lift their game and the mere thought of the resulting rivalry is what could inspire strong turnout of the respective teams’ supporters.
Bartica Zone winner Disconnection Crew, with their Brazilian connection have been touted to be the spoilers in this year’s competition, while the defending champs Dave & Celena All Stars, East Coast champions Uprising, and Berbice champions Trafalgar showed enough class to make the tournament interesting.
As usual, West Front Road-Gold is Money, who are the reigning Georgetown champions, having beaten the most successful team in the tournament’s history, Sparta Boss in their zone final will also attempt to prove that their undoing of the Bosses was no fluke, while Sparta Boss will be looking to restore that imposing record that made them the most feared team in the format.
With the provision of seating accommodation for fans, the organisers are predicting an even bigger turnout than previous years as they seek to broaden the diversity of the fanbase.
“We are constantly reviewing past tournaments and we felt that seating accommodation was one of the areas that we needed to improve and fans will see an improvement in this area when the final is hosted at the National Gymnasium,” Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste assured.
Baptiste said they have every intention of making this year’s national play-offs as inclusive as possible and all the stops were being pulled out to ensure that the tournament’s legacy is protected and preserved.
Last year saw the introduction of colourful uniforms and balls in keeping with the new trend seen internationally and this year promises to be no different.
The tournament opens on July 27 at Pouderoyen Tarmac, West Demerara and then moves to Haslington Tarmac, East Coast Demerara on August 1, before the final showdown set for August 4 at the National Stadium.