Beacon Hill High School’s Sieraaj Williams, left, accepting the 2016 Team of the Season trophy from tournament director Shamiel Kolbee.
The past year was a frustrating one, especially for sports people, at both grassroots and professional levels.
They had to either stay at home doing nothing, or train on their own. But, with the lockdown restrictions being eased to alert level one, grassroots sports is slowly getting back on track.
And this weekend, after an absence of a year, the Mitchell's Plain High Schools’ league will be back in full swing, at Rocklands sports complex.
The six-week long event kicks off on Saturday May 8 at Rocklands sports field.
Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, and the subsequent lockdowns, the event didn’t take place last year, and the youngsters were left frustrated.
The tournament was last played in 2019 and the youngsters couldn’t have asked for a better opening weekend come Saturday as defending champions Portland will lock horns with Mondale.
The game, which is arguably the main match of the opening week, kicks off at 10.15am.
The tournament's secretary Li-anne Mervyn said it was good to be back on the field, following the tough and unpredictable 12 months or so.
“After much strain during the Covid pandemic and the level restrictions that we have encountered during 2020, the effects were truly felt among our youth of Mitchell’s Plain with no outlet for their frustrations.Further, we as the administrators of the league have continued with our heartfelt appeal to the sponsor, Mr Price, to continue with the high schools soccer league for 2021,” she said.
She also said they have been inundated with requests from the 16 participating schools to commence their activities.
“It is with great excitement that we can state that our efforts have borne fruit with permission being granted to commence with the league.”
“With the current Covid 19 Level 1 Regulations it is not allowed for a fully-fledged League of 15 weeks. But, with the assistance of our participating schools, it was decided to have the league run for six weeks starting on Saturday May 8 up to and including June 12 at Rocklands Sports Complex,” she said.
The two top sides in each of the four groups will progress to the winners section of the knockout stages, while the bottom two will battle it out in the losers section.
The finals of winners and losers sections will take place on Saturday June 12.
9am
10.15am