New champions to be crowned in UDFA/Banks DIH Christmas futsal tonight

It could go down to the wire tonight in this New Year’s Upper Demerara Football Association’s promoted Banks DIH 4th annual Christmas futsal championship final, featuring the East of Linden’s best, Capital Football Club (FC), matching skills with the best of the West, represented by Botafago, for a winners’ purse worth $1 million at the Community Hard Court in the mining town of Linden.
An expectant crowd is likely to be on hand, with supporters from the town anticipating victory along with bragging rights and the championship trophy at the end of the deciding game.
The runner-up side is guaranteed $500,000, but losing is not an option for the two sides battling in this highly anticipated final.
The two losing semi-finalists, Topp XX and Blueberry Hill United, are pitted against each other in the main supporting draw from 20:00h, with another exhibition match scheduled from 19:00h.
The Blueberry Hill versus Topp XX match will see the winners receiving $200,000 and the losers $100,000.
Having disposed of Blueberry Hill 7-3, the Botafago side, featuring their top performers Shane Haynes, Donovan Francis, and Malachi Todd, must fancy their chances of becoming the new champions, having knocked out Silver Shattas, last year’s champions, in the quarterfinals, before booking their spot with a close win against Blueberry Hill in the semi-final.
To advance to the final, Capital FC eliminated Topp XX by a 3-2 score but will not be a pushover when they face Botafogo for the grand prize of $1 million and the champions’ trophy.
Their best players in the competition so far have been Selwyn Barnes, Mortimer Giddings Jr, and Emmanuel Atkins.
With major sponsor beverage giant Banks DIH on board, other sponsors have joined to support this tournament, including B Harry Lumber Yard, Mr Kelmon Enterprise, Major’s Rental, D Sookram and Daughters Construction, Sempl and Sons General Store, Jermaine and Son Supermarket and Hardware Store, and Dr Joseph Haynes.