TERMINAL Strikers positioned themselves as strong contenders for championship honours in the bpTT Razack Jan Mayaro Football League when they defeated PYM FC in an exhibition match to mark the launch of the 2015 season on Sunday.
History was created when the launch was held for the first time at the Ortoire Recreation Ground facility, with hundreds of villagers and supporters from other communities flocking to the venue for the day’s activities which featured a colourful parade of teams and the March Past competition.
Comfort Zone, who hail from Ortoire itself, were declared March Past winners.
Organisers of the competition, Illusion International Sports & Cultural Club, were lauded for their decision to take the launch, usually held at the Mayaro Recreation Ground, to the village of Ortoire. Member of Parliament for Mayaro, Winston Peters, offered fulsome praise to Illusions International, sponsors bpTT and the community of Ortoire for putting on a spectacular launch of the 2015 Mayaro football season.
He urged the players to demonstrate discipline at all times, noting that the great players such as Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka all became successful as a result of their discipline. He appealed to them to make use of the opportunity to showcase their football talents to reach national, regional and international levels.
Peters also lauded BP Trinidad and Tobago, which is in its 17th year of sponsorship of football in Mayaro, for its investment in developing the sporting potential of the young people in the south-east communities.
Joel Primus, Community Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations Adviser, bpTT, commended Illusions International for its vision in taking the launch of the league to Ortoire which brought a new and exciting dimension to the football season.
Primus pointed out that participation in the league delivered several benefits, including developing the sporting talents of the youths, cementing community spirit and camaraderie, and bringing the various communities in wholesome activity which serves to reduce crime.
He also gave the assurance that bpTT would continue to partner with the wider Mayaro community in developing its rich sporting potential
Also bringing greetings were Kyron James, councillor for Mayaro; and Roderick Alexander, public relations officer, Illusions International.
A notable feature of the launch was the participation in the organisation of the event by several bpTT Brighter Prospects scholarship recipients who supervised the inspection of teams and judged the March Past competition.
The bpTT Razack Jan Mayaro Football League will be contested in three divisions, Under-15, Under-17 and Seniors.