FLOW KO targets ‘Goals for Haiti’
GOALS for Haiti will be the focus of this year’s Flow Champions Cup All-Island Knockout competition, with $3,000 being donated for every goal scored.
This was announced at yesterday’s tournament launch at at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) headquarters in New Kingston.
The Haitian Football Federation, which lost some 30 members during the recent earthquake, has been chosen as this year’s charity recipient.
Sharon Roper, Flow’s marketing director, said her company was still responding to recent occurrences in Haiti.
Said Roper: “Flow is extremely pleased to announce that this year our charitable efforts will focus on Goals for Haiti”.
She added: “Both SportMax and Flow have pledged to make a donation of $3,000 for every goals scored in the 2009/10 season of the Flow Champions Cup.
“We’re challenging the teams in this year’s competition to exceed the 66 goals scored in last year’s competition,” she said.
Last year, Whole Life Sports was the recipient of $198,000 where local footballer benefitted from the 66 goals scored in 25 matches at $3,000 each.
The competition will kick off on February 18 and will see an increased sponsorship of 33 per cent, with the winners walking away with $800,000 — up from $650,000 last year.
The runners-up will pocket $400,000, with the semi-final losers receiving $200,000 each and the losing quarter-finalists $90,000.
In addition, the Most Valuable Player (MVP), which was won by Peter Keyes of Boys’ Town last year, will this season get $70,000. The top goalscorer will receive $50,000 — the same as the winning coach.
Some 26 teams will be participating this year, comprising the 12 Premier League teams and 14 parish champions.
Play will take place over five rounds, with defending champions Boys’ Town from Kingston & St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), along with the top six Premier League teams at the end of 2009 getting a bye into the second round.
Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, Boys’ Town, Waterhouse (KSAFA), St Georges (Portland) and Sporting Central (Clarendon) will enter the competition on March 3 and 4.
The drawing of the games was done live at the press launch by Allie McNab, special advisor to the Minister of Sports, and Denise Williams, Flow’s public relations manager.
The marquee match-up will be the St Catherine derby between struggling Premier League outfit Portmore United and parish champions Naggo Head.
Former Premier League winners Arnett Gardens, now rooted at the bottom of league, will play Star Cosmos of St Mary.
The other match-ups, with home team named first, are: Leeds (United (St Elizabeth) vs York United (St Thomas); Village United (Trelawny) vs Benfica (St Ann); Humble Lions (Clarendon) vs Georges Valley (Manchester); Ujama (Portland) vs Rivoli United (St Catherine); Reno (Westmoreland) vs Spicy Hill (Trelawny); Granville (St James) vs Bamboo FC (Hanover); Cavaliers vs Greenwich Town in all KSAFA encounter and Monymusk (Clarendon) vs August Town.
The final will be on April 18 at Anthony Spaulding Sports complex.