In a heart-stopping finale at the FESCO Football Field along Spanish Town Road on Sunday (December 3, 2023), Real City emerged as the champions of the Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side Football Competition, clinching victory with a 1-0 win over a resilient Basement team. The Waterhouse-based football tournament made its return on October 17 after a three-year absence and saw 16 teams competing for the $280,000 winning pot and other prizes.
“I am very pleased with how the competition turned out,” said Pocket Rocket Foundation Founder, Olympian Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. “We are celebrating our 10th anniversary as a foundation and this competition has been a staple for many years. The community has really come together over the past several weeks to cheer on and support their favourite teams, which is exactly what we wanted to see.”
Real City coach, Lennoy Noble said, despite having two players out with groin injuries, his team played a wonderful game. “It was a good day. Kudos to the Basement football team, they put up a good fight, but never-the-less we came out victorious. I just want to say thanks to the team for their excellent work and also give thanks to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for putting this competition together,” Noble said.
“This win means everything to us,” said Real City’s captain, Kwesi Innswood. “The competition was fierce, and Basementreally gave us a run for our money, but our determination and teamwork brought us through. We’re ecstatic.”
The award ceremony saw the top three teams, Real City, Basement and Black Strikers walking away with $280,000, $180,000 and $80,000 respectively.
Team Eurotrend added a touch of style to the competition, bagging the Best Dressed Team award and a cash prize of $15,000. Individual excellence was acknowledged with theDigicel Sponsored Best Defender and Most Valuable Player going to Real City’s Oraine Blackwood and Ackeem Green, respectively.
“Defense is often overlooked, so this award is an honor. It’s a testament to the hard work we put in as a team,” Green said.
Blackwood agreed, saying, “Individual awards are great, but it’s the team effort that got us here. This is a victory for all of Real City.”
The title sponsor, FESCO Gas, contributed to the excitement, presenting a $10,000 gas gift certificate to Leading Goal Scorer, Lion Den’s Ackeem Brown of Lion Den who also received a cell phone and phone credit courtesy of Digicel.
Meanwhile, the unsung heroes of the tournament, the Ball Boys, were recognized with Digicel Gift bags and $5,000 each. CEO of Sanmerna Foundation, Robert White, expressed his gratitude, stating, “Their role may be behind the scenes, but it’s essential to the smooth flow of the game. We appreciate their dedication.”
The success of the Six-A-Side ‘Peace Through Sports’ Competition was underscored by the collaborative sponsorship of FESCO Gas, NIKE, Digicel, Wisynco (WATA, Powerade, and Trushake brands), GraceKennedy, and Sanmerna Paper Products Foundation.
The Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side Football Competition stands as a testament to the unifying power of sports, bringing communities together in the pursuit of excellence and camaraderie.
