HAVING defied the odds en route to claiming the East Coast Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ competition earlier this year, the youthful Uprising unit from Golden Grove have become the most popular team on the East Coast of Demerara.

Their fan base has increased significantly and they have not disappointed to date, but could they withstand the enormous pressure being placed on them to win the Three Peat Promotions/Guinness Cage competition?

The answer to the above will be known tonight when they face Plaisance in the feature clash of the Round of 16 segment at the Haslington Market tarmac.
But even more important is: Could the East Coast teams repel the challenge of the visiting

Georgetown teams and underline their arrival on the big stage.

The tournament, dubbed ‘East Coast Best versus The Rest’, pitted 13 teams from the East Coast communities versus 11 from Georgetown and to date all 11 of the visiting teams are still in the competition, while only five from the hosts are still alive.

Simply put, fans and supporters of the respective East Coast teams will have to come out and provide vociferous support to their teams in an effort to ensure that bragging rights and home turf defence are noticeably present tonight.

The support for the tournament, which is being held to improve relations among all communities and to foster social cohesion among its citizenry, has been tremendous to date and this trend is anticipated to continue right to the final scheduled to be played next Friday, at the same venue.

Meanwhile, defending champions Ol Skool Ballers have already exhibited impressive form and could make life difficult for BV ‘B’ and this is where home support could prove a vital ally in this engagement.

This encounter should provide riveting action and tremendous excitement for the fans.
Another game that could bring the house down is the clash between old rivals Sparta Boss and Back Circle.

Undeniably, Guyana’s most successful team in the shorter format, Sparta, have not displayed the kind of killer instincts that their supporters and opponents know they possess, but writing off their chances could be a dangerous undertaking.

Many feel that they are a bit exhausted after making the final stages of almost every tournament this year and barely scraped through as one of the best third-placed teams.
However, big occasion is what they thrive on and Back Circle could provide the flicker they need to remind everyone of their mastery on the streets.

Back Circle are no pushovers either and will want to prove such by making the showdown an explosive one for a quarter-final spot.

Tiger Bay and Avocado Ballers matchup is another dream game with a winner proving too difficult to predict.

Alexander Village have been the surprise package in the tournament to date, but so too are Broad Street.

These two teams have been around for ages, but somehow seem rejuvenated and full of energy and this could be an explosive encounter.

The Leopold Street versus Albouystown clash has all the hallmarks of being a blockbuster and once again the choice of picking a winner is no easy task.

Among the entities in support of the cause are: Banks DIH under its Guinness and Power Wine brands, Clarks footwear giant Chetsons, E-Networks Inc., KSM Investments, Yhip’s Bakery, Brass Aluminium & Cast Iron Foundry (BACIF), Ray’s Auto Sales, Y.K. Investments, Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, Woodpecker Products, National Sports Commission, ‘C’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Jai Signs & Auto Designs, Gaming Authority, Julius Variety Store, Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited and C & C Prestigious Styles.