Bibi inspires youngsters as Samsung Cup kicks off
TUCKER, St James — Former Reggae Boyz captain and 1998 FIFA World Cup veteran Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardener has urged the dozens of children taking part in the western leg of the inaugural Samsung Cup competition to get as much as they can from the game.
Speaking at Saturday’s launch of the event at the WespoW Park in Tucker, St James, Gardner, who is a brand ambassador for Samsung, told members of the 24 schools that took part in the first round to “learn as much as you can from the game”, citing his own example growing up in Harbour View in east Kingston.
The footballer, who played in England for over a decade and was a fixture at Bolton Wanderers for many years in the English Premier League, told the young players between the ages of eight and 11 years old that he was never the best player in the teams he played, but applied dedication “and stuck to my dreams and kept focused”.
Gardner advised the participants they were better off than he was at the same age, as he did not have the organised football that they are now privileged to be involved in. “When I was your age, I was not involved in any organised football, as you have now, it was just a pick-up thing.”
Wesley Bowens, the president of the Jamaica Independent Schools Association (JISA) said the competition, that includes both primary and prep schools, was a good vehicle as it “helped young children to win and to lose properly and to help with bridging gaps”.
The first round will continue on Saturday, November 23 at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, while the rural finals are set for December 7, and the all-island final a week later at Stadium East.
The urban area competition is scheduled to start on Saturday with the final set for November 30.