Sparta Boss poised to win another title

THEY have shown time and time again no fear for teams on the opposite side of the court and this remarkable characteristic is expected to be on display, when the youthful Uprising unit out of Golden Grove tackle a resurgent Broad Street for a place in the final of the 2nd Annual Three Peat Promotions/Guinness Cage competition, this Friday, at the Haslington Market tarmac.

Following four nights of entertaining football, Uprising remain the only surviving team from the East Coast in what has been dubbed ‘The East Coast Best versus The Rest’.
The young ball-weavers have handled the pressure admirably and even though they are facing an inspired Broad Street side, possessing a lot of experience, betting against them is a high risk, since they exhibit plenty of energy in a format that suits them perfectly.
Players the calibre of Les Charles Critchlow, Shamar Scott, Phillip Williams, David Wilson and Seretse Huntley, all make them a formidable unit that may prove too difficult to get past.

They showed their fortitude in outlasting a tough Blazers side in sudden-death penalty shootout in their quarter-final clash.
On the other hand, Broad Street are one of the most experienced sides in the shorter format and they have already demonstrated that it will take some doing to defeat them.
The Gravesande brothers, Jimmy and Rocky, have been to this stage of competition many times in the past and know exactly what it takes to win.

They will have support from the likes of tournament joint top-scorer Jamal Cozier and Kevin Cummings, two players with the class to win matches.
They also displayed toughness in their 1-0 triumph over a stubborn North East La Penitence side in their last encounter. However, the game of the night is predicted to be the clash between Sparta Boss and Leopold Street for a place in the final.

These two teams met as recently as in the GT Beer ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ competition. Sparta Boss prevailed on that occasion but Leopold Street have looked tough throughout this tournament and must be feeling confident of victory.

Sparta Boss will be led by the skilful Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, who looked increasingly menacing in their last game and could prove to be the X-factor.
His support will come from Jermin Junor, Sheldon Shepherd, Courtney Britton and the ‘energiser’ Eusi Phillips, while Leopold Street will be spearheaded by team leader Okanie Fraser, Mark Jhalu, Carl Tudor, Darren Benjamin and Tyrese Forde.

Both teams narrowly escaped with wins, but being in the last four and fighting for a place in the final will definitely help erase those nerve-racking victories.
The five-day tournament was organised to foster integration among the participating East Coast Demerara and Georgetown communities, to improve relations and create better understanding among the inhabitants.

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.