Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 26/Sep 05:24

MPs Alexander, Ameen tackle crime with Community Peace Cup

Another method and strategy in the ongoing fight against crime. This is how Homeland Security Minister and Tunapuna MP Roger Alexander described the staging of the inaugural Community Peace Cup six-a-side football competition which was held at Constantine Park in Macoya on Republic Day (September 24). Alexander put on the one-day tourney alongside St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen, while the event also had the full support of Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Phillip Watts who helped his colleagues kick off the proceedings on an eventful day of football activity. "These are the vibes we're looking for. If every community can develop this kinda vibe, how can we go wrong?" Alexander asked reporters. "Instead of taking the gun and...take it out (your energy) on the field here. And you leave here with, not murder and coffins, but bragging rights. "It's not always about running this one or that one for crime. Let's try and change it before it reaches to that. That's what we're doing here. So instead of running down a man and stealing his things and jumping a wall and invading his premises, come and run down a ball and put it in a goal and score. That's the option we're giving you." Ameen said initiatives such as the Community Peace Cup are much-needed in the constituency as she noted the criminal activity which occurs in areas such as Macoya, Tacarigua and Tunapuna. She said the football competition is only the start of the community cup, as All Fours, windball cricket and other sports are also expected to be thrown into the mix. "The Peace Cup is meant to bring peace. This is a challenge trophy and today is the football edition. We have 24 teams participating, mainly from St Augustine and Tunapuna but certainly from outside areas as well," Ameen said. "This event is geared to getting our young people on a positive track...when the committee came together, they understood the assignment. I must commend them. When we continue with this, we intend to engage more young people from this catchment area." Minister Watts fully endorsed the tournament and also saw it as a venture to unearth hidden talents in the various communities. Squad Elite, Stay Calm take bragging rights On the field of play, a host of TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) regulars and even former West Indies and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) batting star Lendl Simmons put their skills to the test. When the dust settled after over ten hours of non-stop action across two divisions, Squad Elite and Stay Calm emerged victorious in the respective open and Over-40 categories. In the open final, a double from Josiah Joseph, who has represented TT in futsal at the Under-23 level, saw Squad Elite getting a 2-0 victory over Top Strikers to secure a $10,000 first prize. It was quick revenge for a Squad Elite team which also featured attacking players such as Junior Assoon and Dwight Jordan, as Top Strikers had earned a 2-1 victory when the two teams met in a Group B clash earlier in the day. [caption id="attachment_1180534" align="alignnone" width="768"] St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen presents Josiah Edwards with his prize for finishing as the golden boot winner in the inaugural Community Peace Cup six-a-side football competition at Constantine Park, Macoya on September 24. -[/caption] Cruzero finished third in the open division which featured over 20 teams as they got a penalty shootout victory after a goalless stalemate through 20 minutes in a tight clash with MIL in the third-place playoff. Top Strikers and Cruzero received $5,000 and $3,000 prizes for their exploits. Meanwhile, in the Over-40 division, Simmons and a wily Stay Calm veteran team which included TTPFL journeyman striker Kordell Samuel, got the better of the competition in a five-team round-robin format. One of Stay Calm's victories included an intriguing 3-1 result in a contest with eventual third-place finishers Macoya FC who had diminutive former national winger Hayden Tinto in their ranks. Stay Calm walked away with a $5,000 prize for winning the Over-40 division, with a well-drilled Sentinels FC team just being edged to second spot. Sentinels took home a $2,000 prize, with Macoya getting a $1,000 for their efforts. Josiah Edwards, a former St Anthony's College standout who has now taken his talents to Terminix La Horquetta Rangers in the TTPFL, took home the golden boot honours in the open category. (with reporting by Lincoln Holder)   The post MPs Alexander, Ameen tackle crime with Community Peace Cup appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.