– Providence Stadium for national play-offs final

Bartica’s representatives in the prestigious national play-offs of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition will be known this weekend when the final zone of the competition is played in Region 7

Word emanating out of the community suggests that defending champion, River View, will be hard-pressed to retain their crown won last year at the inaugural competition.

In that final, River View squeezed past Police and the lawmen have already vowed revenge in this year’s edition which also has at stake a place in the national play-offs slated for later this month.

The national play-offs are set to be staged on July 27 and August 3, at the Pouderoyen Tarmac and Haslington Market Square respectively, while the final will be played at the National Stadium, Providence.

According to Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste, they have been searching for ways to improve the tournament all-round and he thinks that the move to have the final played at the National Stadium for the first time is the right one and he expects a large turnout of fans as usual.

“It is always our intention to have improvements every year and with the projected addition of stands to accommodate seated patrons, I think we will witness a wider cross section of fans support,” he said.

The games will be played on the tarmac at the National Stadium and entry is free.

The tournament is widely regarded as the most popular street format where the attendance is usually massive, accompanied by the benefits of cohesion and friendship among competing communities, which is the primary objectives of the organisers.

It must be noted also that Banks DIH, under its Guinness brand, has offered to give back to the respective communities where the winners of the zones originate from.

Sixteen teams will participate in the national play-offs.

Meanwhile, the qualifiers for the national play-offs are seen below:

Georgetown:
Gold is Money –champions
Sparta Boss
Leopold Street
Bent Street

East Coast Demerara
Uprising –Champion
Paradise
Melanie ‘B’
Buxton Diamond

West Demerara
Showstoppers– Champion
ESPN
West Side Ballers

Linden
Silver Bullets– Champion
Dave and Celina’s All-Stars–national champion
Swag Entertainment

Berbice
Trafalgar– champion