Family, fun, and of course football are the central pillars for total inclusion that is the basis of CNC3's Fete Five Football skills and drills competition, which resumes with its second preliminary matchday at the M.L Ball Park, Macoya - formerly known as Marvin Lee Stadium - from 10 am today.
Seven teams will vie to join Dream Team United and Ronco FC in the semifinal round of the event that takes place on May 19.
Among them will be Def Starz, a team consisting entirely of
hearing- impaired players as well as management and volunteers from Focus Football Coaching Academy, which encourages participation from differently abled players.
In a recent interview with CNC3 and through a sign language interpreter, captain of Def Starz, Valdano Tobias said: "Since 2010 this team has been in competition but it has always been among the deaf. We want to get involved in this competition to show the skill that deaf people have. We are excited."
Founder of Focus Football Coaching Academy, Amiel Mohammed, expressed a similar sentiment.
"Fete Five Football is really a novel, bold and new, creative idea by the respective parties at Guardian Media and we felt that it was a perfect opportunity. Really and truly it is just a matter of participation and playing for inclusion. Its something fun, something different and that's what we're craving for."
The competition tests the skill set of entrants in the form of a five-a-side challenge with a series of customized football drills - normally associated with organised football training - fused with fun and novel elements, making it more suited to the target audience of "fete match" or amateur teams and players.
An audience consisting mostly of supporters of each contingent witnessed Dream Team, which calls Diego Martin its base, emerge as the first winners of CNC3's event, which kicked off on April 7. Ronco F.C, hailing from Barrackpore finished the first preliminary event as runner-up, pipping Grande Stars in the final of the opening event three weekends ago.
An even greater turnout is expected for today's event at which Champion Boys, Fortaleza, Olympus FC, Panna Kings SC and Vega New Drinkers will also contend for one of two more spots in the semi-final.
The third and fourth preliminary matchdays will be held on May 5 and May 12 while the final of the event will be held on May 26.
