Tourney set to debut

AS?THE?clock ticks towards tomorrow’s start of the historic LIME?Pelican Out-of-season Football Tournament at the National Stadium, coordinator Randy Harris says everything is in place.
“As an organiser, I think that we have more or less everything in place. Fortunately, we are able to use the National Stadium for the opening day and this has given us more control over the venue as the Stadium already has the infrastructure for the football,” Harris said.
The veteran administrator, who also conceptulized the popular BESS?Tournament in the 1990s, said he was pleased with the way the footballers and coaching staff had approached their training sessions.
“All ten teams believe that they are going to win the $100 000 and I am seeing a different attitude to the whole preparation for the tournament,” Harris said.
“It goes to show not only that it would be a competitive tournament but also the camaraderie among the clubs is something phenomenal.”
The coordinator said a meeting was held with all the participating players on Thursday night at Paradise Park “to let them know what we expect of them in terms of discipline and their whole deportment”.
“We have a long-term vision for this kind of tournament. We know that we can improve it, but we need the players to exhibit a kind of standard that the corporate community would want to get involved even more,” he said.
The opening ceremony, which includes the parade of the ten teams, is set for 5 p.m. followed by two matches with Scotty’s Combined Stars opposing Conquerors at 6:15 p.m and Broad Street Men and Women Red Tridents facing TS Strikers at 8:15 p.m.
“We have a very exciting evening to start off the event with and we only hope that it will grow and the people who attend on Sunday will get something that will bring them back to the football over and over,” Harris said.
Entertainment will be provided by popular deejay Li’l Rick, and Harris said a decision had been taken to have only “conscious lyrics being played at the tournament”.
“That is for obvious reasons. We want to set the tone for the whole atmosphere of this tournament,” he noted.