Amidts the hectic general election season the Marabella Football League kicks off with a bumper ceremony on Sunday at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium from 4 pm.
The league, considered the biggest and most prestigious community football competition in Trinidad and Tobago, did not feature last year because of upgrade works being done at the Marabella Recreation Ground — the original home of the competition.
League chairman Rudolph Thomas has explained that because of incomplete work at the Marabella facility on Battoo Avenue, permission was granted by the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago for the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium to be used this year.
Up to yesterday Thomas and other officials of the Marabella league were meeting with authorities of the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium and Sport Company to decide a way to sort out the difficulty of staging the Marabella competition, along with matches in the TT Pro League and other sporting action at the Union Marabella venue.
The league comprises three Divisions — an Open competition, an Over-40 and an Under-16 age bracket competition.
This year officials have been made to deal with an unexpected influx in teams vying to compete for the money prize and bragging rights in the deep south.
According to Thomas there has been an increase from 16 to 24 teams for the Open Division of the league and as such there is an ongoing search for other sponsors.
Apart from Petrotrin, Thomas thanked the Sport Company, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and its minister Gary Hunt, who he described as “probably the best sport minister the country has ever had.”
“Apart from the controversial $2 million flag, Hunt has done so much for us and this country where sport development is concerned,” Thomas said. Through the Sport Company all teams in the league were outfitted and financial assistance was also given to help off-set the cost of daily expenses.
Sunday’s opening will feature a bumper entertainment package that will comprise performances from Impulse, last year’s Young King champion and runner-up of this year’s Dimanche Gras competition Brian London and popular Marabella Steel Orchestra—Southern Marines and many others.
There will be a parade of all the teams as well as an exhibition match that will feature an All Star Team from the Marabella League coming up against an Energy All Stars — a combination team from the different community football leagues in Southwest Trinidad.
The leagues include the Point Fortin Community Football League, Palo Seco, La Brea and the Fyzabad football league among others.
Action in the league will begin a week after Sunday’s opening ceremony.