$100,000 prize for Pro Bowl winners

This year’s tournament was launched at the Digicel executive suite, Queen’s Park Oval, Woodbrook, yesterday, and the contest, featuring the eight Digicel Pro League clubs, will run from tomorrow until May 18.

Skeene noted that the champion team in the “winner-takes-all” format can get more than $100,000 depending on the attendance levels during the matches.

With 2010-2011 champs Joe Public opting out of the league, the vacant title will be taken by one of the eight current teams W Connection, TTEC, Caledonia AIA, Defence Force, San Juan Jabloteh, Police, North East Stars and St Ann’s Rangers.

Tomorrow, in the quarter-final round, Connection will meet Police and North East will oppose TTEC at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella; while Rangers tackle AIA and Defence Force play Jabloteh at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. Both double-headers will kick off at 6 pm.

The semi-finals will be contested on May 11 with the final carded for May 18.

Skeene in his speech stated, “we are at the end of what, for the league, is a historic and significant season in that we changed our season to suit the European calender.”

This Pro Bowl is the final event of the league’s 2011-2012 season and Skeene admitted, “we are at the point now where we must improve and re- engineer almost every aspect of the league.

“In this regard, the Digicel Pro Bowl stands for excellence,” he added.

“I wish all the teams good luck as we look forward to an even higher standard of football in the Pro Bowl,” he ended.

Wendy Alleyne, sponsorship and promotions manager of Digicel (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited, noted, “this is Digicel’s third year as title sponsors of this exciting knockout tournament and we are thrilled to see how far the competition has come.

“Each year the teams come out to do their best, displaying admirable sportsmanship and incredible talent for the bragging rights of winner takes all,” she added.

Concerning the teams, Alleyne said, “we’d like to congratulate the Pro League winners W Connection, who made us all proud with their victory.”

And, pertaining to incentives for this tournament, she noted, “in addition to the overall cash prize, Digicel will also be awarding Blackberry handsets to the MVP and most goals for the competition.”

She urged the fans to come out and support the matches. “Those who come out to support the games will be privy to special Digicel prizes that can be won through half-time promotions.”