Interest grows in Guinness Street Football

– qualifiers commence Nov 17

Teams interested in participating in the qualification phase of the seventh Edition of the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Georgetown Zone Competition has been handing in their registration in a fast and furious manner.
This is the word from coordinating group Three Peat Promotions that is predicting an increase from last year’s number of entries, with only 16 needed to join the list of automatic qualifiers for the November 22 start of this year’s competition that will see a total of 32 teams square off for the right to be crowned Georgetown Zone champions and a spot in the national final.
According to a release, the high level of interest being exhibited while commendable and also an expression of the immense popularity of the tournament might force the coordinators to initiate a cut-off point for entries.
“A lot of teams have been calling us for registration forms and expressing interest in participating in the qualifying process to get into the main draw, but realistically we might have to cut off entries at some point so that we can keep our deadline for the commencement of the real competition,” an official from the coordinating committee disclosed.
The deadline for registration is November 16, one day before the quest to select the 16 teams that will join the automatic qualifiers begins.
According to the coordinating group, the qualifying segment will be played at the Meadow Brook Playfield situated east of Mandela Avenue, in the street immediately south of the National Gymnasium.
Already, teams have intensified preparations ahead of the November 22 start, and Banks DISH, under its Guinness brand, has agreed to make this year’s event more exciting and a spectacle of colour.
Teams will be colourfully decked out, while the playing balls will also have a touch of flash on them as well.
Brand Manager Lee Baptiste said it was their wish to add some new innovations to this year’s competition among them to create a colourful scene to enhance the usual stirring atmosphere and to give back to communities.
The winners of the overall event will receive $500,000 and the championship trophy along with automatic qualification for the national play-offs.
The runners-up, third- and fourth-place finishers will receive $250,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively.
Forms can be uplifted from Banks DIH Limited Caesar’s Palace, Durban Street location or Referee Coordinator Wayne Griffith on 697-7777 or Three Peat Promotions’ Rawle Welch on 688-1776.