Footballers celebrate championship titles in the 2023 Republic Cup National Youth Football League

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, June 15 2023:The Republic Cup National Youth Football League came to a thrilling conclusion on June 10 2023 at the Republic Bank Sports Club, Barataria. This year’s tournament, which kicked off in March, saw 144 teams from across Trinidad and Tobago compete over several weeks with exciting matches keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. The competition peaked at last Saturday’s grand finals with young athletes of the Trinidad boys’ divisions putting on an impressive display of skills and teamwork.

The grand finals featured four championship match-ups across all age categories namely Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 20. In the first match of the day in the Under 13 division, FC Ginga emerged triumphant over the Cox Coaching School in a close 4-3 penalty kick off. The second face-off between Pro Series and QPCC in the Under 15 division saw Pro Series lifting the winner’s trophy after 5-4 penalty shoot out. Pro Series also reigned supreme in the Under 17 division after thumping the Premier Sport Club with a score of 6-2. The Under 20 category saw an intense match between Defence Force and QPCC, however the Defence Force players eventually emerged victorious with a score of 2-1. The winning teams of the boys’ divisions in Trinidad now complete the list of champions that have prevailed over the course of the League. Ball Blasters Youth AC dominated the boys’ division in Tobago, blasting to the top in the Under 13, 15 and 17 categories respectively. The Eagles, however, denied them a clean sweep on the sister isle by capturing the championship title in the boys’ Under 20 division.

The girls’ divisions equalled their male counterparts in technical skill, teamwork and tenacity on both islands. In Trinidad, after fierce competition, Cox Coaching School fended off all challengers to win the Under 16 division title while the St. Augustine Football Club emerged victorious in the Under 20 division championship. Jewels SC claimed the Under 16 division trophy while the Black Panthers topped the Under 20 division in Tobago.

Hosted under its Power to Make a Difference corporate social responsibility programme, the Republic Cup National Youth Football League is a demonstration the Bank’s commitment to investing in the development and empowerment of the country’s young people.

Speaking after Saturday’s grand finals, Reena Gopaul, Manager, Group Brand Management, Republic Bank expressed her gratitude to the participating teams, coaches, parents/guardians and the officials at Gateway Athletics and the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association who made the tournament a success. She noted that the Bank was pleased to support young athletes on their journey of growth and development, stating that “At Republic Bank, we believe in the importance of giving back to the communities in which we operate. By investing in initiatives like Republic Cup we are able to make a positive difference in the lives of young people through sport. Apart from the competitive aspect of our Republic Cup, we also welcomed international scouts to assess our players, so they can explore taking their football career to a next level while marrying it with tertiary education opportunities.”