Horse Hill huff them

Article by Ezra Stuart

The celebrations for Horse Hill, St Joseph, continued on Wednesday night when they were presented with their prizes after winning the 2017 Youth Development Programme’s National Block Draughts Tournament.

In an extremely close and compelling final last December at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, Horse Hill edged Well Gap, Cave Hill, 17-15 to emerge champions of the sixth annual tournament.

Vivian Jones led the way for Horse Hill with seven points while Dwayne Hurst and Curtis Jones both gained six points in a losing cause for Cave Hill.

Jarie Jones of Cave Hill was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Earlier, in the semi-finals, Horse Hill defeated Haynesville 19-13, while Well Gap, Cave Hill had a similar 19-13 win over Parris Hill.

During the presentation and prize giving ceremony at the Sky Mall headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Minister of Sports Stephen Lashley lauded the organising committee for the excellent work in making the tournament a success.

Noting the Ministry of Youth provides a number of developmental programmes catering to the youth, he urged the draughts players to take advantage of the training being offered by the Department of Emergency Management (DEM).

DEM has partnered with the Block Draughts Committee towards the creation of a cadre of trained first responders to community crisis and natural disasters.

The tournament, which attracted 18 teams, was played in honour of former long-standing World Go-As-You-Please champion, Ronald “Suki” King, who also held the Three-Move-Restriction title simultaneously.

The participating teams were Deacons Farm, St Michael, Haynesville, St James, Paddock Road, St Michael A and B, Massiah Street, St John, Welchman Hall, St Thomas, Parris Hill, St Joseph, Six Men’s, St Peter, Regent Hill, the Pine, Sherbourne, St John, Sturges, St Thomas, Parks Road, St Joseph, Bush Hall, St Michael, Well Gap, Cave Hill, St Michael, Sugar Hill, St Joseph, Horse Hill, St Joseph, Windsor, Christ Church and Ellerton, St George. (EZS)