The finals for the Cayman Select Cup are set for 9-11 Aug., after the football action kicked off on Saturday, with five teams competing for their homelands at the Ed Bush Stadium.
The local charity tournament features select squads representing Africa, Cayman, the United Kingdom – who are off to a good start – Jamaica and Honduras.
“It’s a new tournament,” organiser Antwan Seymour told the Compass. “The excitement was evident before the start but once the games began rolling the competitiveness between the nations ramped up,” he said, noting that the tournament offers an opportunity to feel a sense of pride by representing an unofficial national team.
The tournament started with the UK team defeating Jamaica 3-1, prior to Cayman getting the 2-1 edge on the Africa team.
On Sunday, Africa suffered a 7-1 thrashing by the UK, before Jamaica bested Honduras 2-1.
The tournament is put on not only to offer players the opportunity to compete against a select team but also to raise funds for the Cayman Athletic Sports Club.
“All proceeds will go towards Cayman Athletic youth programme, which is also connected to the Red Bay Primary School football programme,” Seymour said. “We’ve also allowed the John Gray High School prom committee to do food stalls in aid of their fundraising efforts.
“So, by attending the tournament, you are not only supporting the young footballers but also the students – our future – because it’s about giving back.”
Seymour went on to thank the Cayman Islands Football Association for sanctioning the tournament.
The football event will continue with its finals at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex with an award presentation to close the show on Sunday.
“We’ve introduce MVP rings after each game and that has been a hit for the players,” Seymour added. “On Sunday we will present awards for top goal scorer, top defender, top playmaker, top goalkeeper, MVP of the tournament and championship rings for the winning team, in addition to the tournament trophy.”
Tickets for the games are priced at $10 at the gate.
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