By Shaun Fuentes
Stoke City forward Kenwyne Jones is giving back to the development of youngsters in his homeland Trinidad and Tobago by sponsoring a nationwide tournament for scores of youth players on the island.
Jones was recently back home in Port of Spain during which time he teamed up with the Queen’s Park Cricket club to put on the Schools Football Festival which takes place on Saturday July 2.
Sixty teams of boys and girls will take to the playing field in a one day five a side competition, testing their physical ability, skills and technique, as well as understanding of the game, while developing their social skills among their peers.
The T&T Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs are also sponsors of this significant Festival with prizes up for grabs in the four divisions U13’s, and U16’s boys and girls, along with special prizes for the winners of MVP’s Top Goal Scorers, Best Goalkeepers, and the Coaches of the winning teams.
The Kenwyne Jones Award will be given to the Best Player of the Festival.
“It’s just a little way of giving back to the development of the game among the youths in Trinidad and Tobago. I came from that level as well and fought my way to a decent career which took off in England, “said Jones who played for his country at the 2001 FIFA Under 17 Men’s World Cup. He was a student of St Anthony’s College and a member of W Connection FC before getting his first break in England at Southampton.
“The journey started for me while I was a kid and I dreamt big. Hopefully one of these kids can do the same with a start at the Queen’s Park football festival,” Jones added.
