“WE DID it once and I know we can and will do it again,” said Cornel Millington, coach of the BK International Western Tigers Football Club, who are presently undergoing preparation for action in the 23rd Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament which kicks off next Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.

Having won the tournament in 2009 in a gruelling encounter against Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United at the Guyana National Stadium, the team failed to find that winning formula while also losing a few players in the process.
However, things seem different this year with the return of several key players and Millington is banking on the high spirit and rejuvenated team and camaraderie to lead them to the tournament’s $4M first prize.
“We stand to win this tournament, as a matter of fact, once we reach the final we will win. We have the quality of players and they know what they have to do because this is not the first time we are placed in this position, so it’s one game at a time and things will work out for us,” Millington said.
National defenders Walter Moore and Colin Nelson who both play in Trinidad and Tobago’s Professional League with Caledonia AIA, as well as Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney will be joining forces with Devon Millington and the other regular players of the club.
The tournament this year fetches more individual prizes than any of the previous 22 editions, with a Toyota Allex motor car, going to the Most Valuable Player (MVP), being the most sought-after accolade.
With this being in place, Millington (coach) believes the 23rd Kashif and Shanghai tournament should see a boost in the level of competition. He also pointed out that great individual performances would only come with good team play; a mindset he’s instilling in his players.
“I know for a fact all the players want to drive that car but it’s only one car; so of course you’ll see the players doing a bit more but what I’m telling my players is that they need to think team first because without the team you would be nothing.
“I like the fact that more is being given to the players because these guys put a lot into preparing for this tournament; so this will be a great tournament and with God’s grace, Western Tigers will be holding that trophy. We have what it takes,” Millington noted.
BK International Western Tigers will open their quest for championship honours on Friday, December 21 at the GFC ground against Grove Hi-Tech, a team their coach says he’s well aware of but “the teams can be tricky this time of the year. Everyone strengthens his team to get a good chance of winning”.