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Bartica Zone kicks off tonight
The Bartica Community Centre is looking set and ready for the two-day showdown in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition.
Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Championship…
– Nationals set for Sept. 6
Kaieteur Sports – Following four years of inactivity due to the COVID pandemic, the increasingly popular Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ returned with a bang this year, with massive support seen in all the communities that hosted the competition.
Played in Georgetown, Berbice, Linden, Essequibo, and East Bank/West Demerara so far, attention is now focused on the Bartica community, the final stop in the Zone segment, before the staging of the highly anticipated National Championship set for Pouderoyen Tarmac on September 6.
Unrivalled in its popularity, the event has developed into the most sought-after accolade among street teams, with bragging rights being the main motivator for teams within the communities where the tournament is played.
This motivation is then carried over to the national finals, where the winning team can boast of being the best in the country, an achievement that lasts for one year.
Tonight, fans in the Bartica area will witness the start of two days of fierce competition set to culminate tomorrow with the final, where the winning team will be crowned zone champion and have the right to represent that community at the national tournament.
Sixteen teams have earned the right to participate in the competition for prize monies totalling in excess of $600,000.
The winning team will receive $300,000, while second, third, and fourth-place finishers take home $200,000, $100,000, and $80,000 along with trophies, respectively.
According to a member of the organising committee, all systems are in place for two nights of intense rivalry as teams battle for the right to represent the community on the biggest stage, the national final.
Meanwhile, the buzz surrounding this year’s national finals has been reverberating throughout the entire country, and according to feedback, the organisers are pulling out all the stops to make the one-night wonder a memorable one.
Firstly, they’ve increased prize monies for the winners substantially, with a total of over $2 million in cash and trophies up for grabs, while fans will also be rewarded with special giveaways throughout the night.
Guinness Brand Executive Lee Baptiste, in an invited comment, said he was pleased with the support received from the teams and fans this year and has been encouraged to make it even better next year.
“The support this year’s has been extremely encouraging, especially since we were returning after a four-year absence. This just shows how popular the tournament is, and we will continue to take this feature into our deliberations when we meet at our internal meetings,” Baptiste said.
He added that the introduction of Essequibo as one of the new areas in the annual event and the support enjoyed from the community have enhanced the company’s resolve to continue the competition.
Meanwhile, the national champion will collect $1 million and the winning trophy, while second, third, and fourth-place finishers will receive $500,000, $350,000, and $200,000, respectively.
The fans also came in for high praise for their support throughout the tournament’s history, which, according to Baptiste, continues to grow.
He disclosed that while availability of suitable venues remains an obstacle in some communities, they are hoping that the initial concept of playing the game in various communities will return.
Meanwhile, as the organisers await the winner of the Bartica Zone, the following teams will contest the national competition: Georgetown-Laing Avenue and North Ruimveldt; West/East Bank Demerara: Ballerz Empire and Showstoppers; East Coast: Demerara-Liliendaal Hustlers; Berbice: East Bank Gunners; Essequibo: All Stars and Linden-Silver Bullets.
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