THE inaugural New Era Entertainment Mackeson/Cell Smart futsal tournament was officially launched yesterday, following a simply presentation ceremony at the Ansa McAl head office boardroom.
The tournament, though not the first of its kind to be held in Linden, will be played on a knock-out format for teams only from Region 10. March 8 is the opening date while matches are also set to be played on March 9, 13, 15, 17, 19 and the final on March 22.$200 000 is up for grabs for the winners, while second-through-fourth places are set to pocket $100 000, $75 000 and $25 000 respectively.
Mackeson brand manager Jamal Douglas says that he is confident the community of Linden will support the tournament and since his company receives great returns from the mining community, he felt compelled to sponsor the event.
“We know how the people of Linden love sports and we know how much they support Ansa McAl. We are always looking to give back to the people who support and so this tournament is very important to us. I know that it would be very competitive because that’s the nature of the people in Linden when it comes to sports,” Douglas said.
Upon receiving the sponsorship of the tournament’s second-place cash prize and trophy, the organisers said that they were more than happy that Ansa McAl could support their effort in giving Futsal players and teams in Linden an opportunity to enjoy a game that they love.
“This is a new venture for us,” said Aubrey Major Jr, co-director of New Era Entertainment, adding “It’s a major challenge for us in ensuring that everything goes well for this tournament and we’re extremely happy that Ansa McAl who normally supports us in our other initiative, is behind us on this one as well.”
He further said, “Presently, we have everything in place to start the tournament. Teams have already registered and are preparing. The thing is, it has never been played in knock-out before. Everyone is accustomed to round-robin first, but we want it to be exciting from the first game so I know with it being K.O, we can expect nothing but excitement at every game.”