Defending Champs play second

DEFENDING Panorama Champions Sagicor Exodus, which will this year be gunning for the hat trick, will appear in position number two behind TCL Skiffle Bunch following yesterday’s draw for playing positions in tomorrow’s Panorama Finals at the “Big Yard,” Queen’s Park Savannah. Their closest competitor in the title race — bitter rivals Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove — who scored a resounding victory in the semi-finals tallying 454 points (eight higher than Exodus), will bring down the curtain in position eight.

According to pan aficionados, position eight is widely coveted by the bands since the judges, having heard all of the previous bands from one through seven, will get the opportunity to measure the performance of the last band. History seems to be on the side of Phase II winning this year’s Panorama, since on the last two occasions they were in winners’ row, it came when they played in the last position. This feeling was shared by Phase II manager Errol Skerritt who told Newsday after the draw: “This has to be an omen of good things to come and as fate would have it, when we won the Panorama in 87 and 88, we did it while playing in last position.

“So this is definitely a sign of things to come,” the ultra confident Skerritt added. The draw took place at the old TTT building on Maraval Road yesterday and was presided over by PanTrinbago and NCC officials. South champs TCL Skiffle Bunch drew the first playing position. “We were prepared to play and do our best in whatever position we pulled. So all of the members are very confident of bringing home the hat trick,” Exodus Manager Ainsworth Mohammed told Newsday yesterday.