Joy for New Forest
Nain , St Elizabeth — Residents of New Forest in south Manchester had good reason to celebrate recently when New Forest Primary and New Forest High won age-group football competitions sponsored by bauxite/alumina company JISCO Alpart.
New Forest Primary School won the Alpart /Essex Valley Sports Council Under-13 competition by beating Austin Primary School 5-4 on penalties after playing to a 0-0 draw in full and extra time.
The Under-16 category was won by New Forest High. They edged Nain High School 2-1 in what is being described as the biggest rivalry in Alpart Essex Valley sporting competitions.
Head coach of New Forest Primary School, Omar Robinson, who was recently awarded the top coach by the Manchester Football Association, guided his team — which included three females — through the rounds undefeated.
Robinson said good preparation and the commitment of his young players made it possible for them to be crowned the best Under-13 team in south Manchester & south St Elizabeth.
Top goalscorer for the Under-13 competition; was Deandre Barnett of New Forest Primary School with 14 goals from seven matches.
Schoolfield Primary was voted the Most Disciplined Team and was awarded a trophy honouring referee Dwight Royal, a past president of the Alpart/Essex Valley Sports Council who was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident late last year.
Part proceeds from the funds raised during the competition will be used to assist rehabilitative care for Royal.
This year’s football competition saw the most entries in the 46-year history with 25 in the Under-13 category and four in the Under-16 high school category. Nain High and New Forest High were joined by specially invited teams, Winston Jones High and Cross Keys High.
The competition included a new feature with specially funded school projects being awarded to winners and runners-up. New Forest Primary and High Schools teams earned $30,000, respectively, which will be used to undertake school projects as chosen by the teams. Category runner-up teams Nain High and Austin Primary won $15,000 respectively for their school projects. JISCO Alpart Jamaica provided $500,000 in sponsorship for the age-group football competitions. The money covered community field preparation, jerseys, medals, refreshment, and refereeing fees.
