Goodwood Tigers and coach Imran Gopaul show off their haul of trophies and medals won in the 2016 RBC West Penn
Community Youth Football League. Sharing in the moment are Suzanne Delph, RBC West Mall Branch Manager; Selwyn
Luces (right) and Shurland Hartley (left), Chairman and Vice President, respectively, of West Penn Sports & Culture.
RBC West Penn football awards dominated by two teams
August 22, 2016: Trinidad: TWO TEAMS—Goodwood Tigers and Greenhill Bagatelle
FC—made a clean sweep of the major awards at stake in their respective divisions at the
prize-distribution function of the 2016 RBC Royal Bank West Penn Community Youth
Football League Tournament on Saturday.
Comprising players from the formidable St Anthony’s College, Goodwood Tigers
dominated the Under-17 Division, as they were crowned league and one-day champions
and took home the major individual awards at stake in the division. Their success was
matched by Greenhill/Bagatelle who walked away with similar awards in the Under-14
Division.
The exceptional performances by both champions were underlined at the awards function
of the league, which was held at the Diego Martin North Secondary School.
Cash prizes, trophies and medals were handed out to the top performers in the two
divisions of the league, which is celebrating its second year of partnership with RBC. A
total of 16 teams took part in the 2016 tournament, which was played off from May 1 to
July 31.
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RBC Royal Bank Trinidad and Tobago’s sponsorship of the league was hailed by West
Penn Sports & Culture, organisers of the tournament, “as a major platform for the youths
who live in Trinidad’s western peninsula to develop their football skills and for the
various communities to pursue sport for peace and development”.
Manager of RBC West Mall Branch, Suzanne Delph, told officials, players and parents,
that the bank took pride in making communities in which it operated develop and thrive.
“This competition gives you an opportunity not only to develop your talents in football
but also to grow as young adults as well. Sport is an excellent avenue to move ahead in
life and we at RBC see our partnership with West Penn as a fantastic investment in the
future of Trinidad and Tobago. We congratulate you on a wonderful job in organising
this tournament especially as it serves to bring the various communities in the west closer
together,” Delph told the audience.
Playing for the first time in the tournament, Goodwood Tigers received $3,000, a trophy
and gold medals as Under-17 league champions. They also won the One-Day competition
and copped awards for Most Valuable Player, Mark Robertson; and Golden Boot, Nkosi
Salandy.
Greenhill/Bagatelle secured similar honours in the Under-14 Division. They received
$2,000, a trophy and gold medals as league champions and also captured the One-Day
title. Anthony Walcott was named MVP, while Joseph Solomon received the Golden
Boot award. Their trophy haul bulged even bigger as Garfield “Papa” Augustine was
voted Coach of the Year, and won the accolade of Most Disciplined Team, an award they
shared with St James Youths.
West Penn Chairman, Selwyn Luces, said the league had overcome some growing pains
but had broadened its reach in the second year with a total of 16 teams, four more than
the first year. “One of the overriding objectives for West Penn is to break down barriers
and bring communities in the west closer together. We believe that the RBC Youth
Football Tournament is a major steeping-stone in that direction. We are delighted that we
have been offered this opportunity by RBC to give our youths a sound platform to
develop their sporting skills and move forward in life,” Luces pointed out.
A stirring appeal was made to the youths by St. Anthony College’s teacher and coach,
Imran Gopaul, to make full use of the opportunity presented to them through the league.
“Sport has tremendous positive power. Sport teaches us discipline. It gives us something
to believe in. It gives us hope. I urge you to grasp this opportunity with both hands. We
owe RBC a debt of gratitude for providing this sound platform for the youths of our
communities. Let us support and energise each other,” urged Gopaul, who added that he
owed his life to football.
Major honours of the 2016 RBC West Penn Community Youth Football League:
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Under-17 Division
League Competition
Champions: Goodwood Tigers
Runners-Up: Cocorite Stars
3rd Place: Patna/River Estate
One-Day Competition
Champions: Goodwood Tigers
Runners-Up: Panta/River Estate
3rd Place: St Lucien FC
Most Valuable Player: March Robertson (Goodwood Tigers)
Golden Boost: Nkosi Salandy (Goodwood Tigers)
Under-14 Division
League Competition
Champions: Greenhill/Bagatelle FC
Runners-Up: St James Youths
3rd Place: Big Valley FC
One-Day Competition
Champions: Greenhill/Bagatelle
Runners-Up: Big Valley FC
3rd Place: Blue Basin/Waterwheel FC
Most Valuable Player: Anthony Walcott (Greenhill/Bagatelle)
Golden Boot: Joseph Solomon (Greenhill/Bagatelle)
Coach of the Year: Garfield “Papa” Augustine (Greenhill/Bagatelle)
Most Disciplined Team: Greenhill/Bagatelle & St James Youths (tie).
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