The champions of this season’s First Citizens Cup can walk away with $125,000, that is $25,000 more than previous editions—due to a new prize money scheme installed by the T&T Pro League.
This was revealed when the 2016 edition of the competition was launched at the VIP Lounge, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday.
For the first time in the tournament’s 17-year history, all teams will be rewarded with cash bonuses courtesy of First Citizens for each win throughout the tournament.
In the semifinal round, winners are to receive $7,000 while in the quarterfinal and play-off rounds, winners will collect $5,000 and $3,000 respectively. The overall champions will receive $110,000 and $20,000 to the runners-up.
Formerly No Room For Losers, the First Citizens Cup will now run under the new theme Winners Will Reign.
Reigning champions W Connection, and former champions Central FC and Morvant Caledonia United all avoided the play-offs along with St Ann’s Rangers, Police and Pt Fortin Civic during a random draw supervised by Pro League (PL) CEO Dexter Skeene.
To trim the ten league clubs for the quarterfinal, the random draw pitted Club Sando against Defence Force from 6 pm and San Juan Jabloteh against Ma Pau Stars at 8 pm in the play-offs on Tuesday at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
Jabloteh head coach, Keith Jeffrey, welcomed the play-off match-up with Ma Pau Stars—who boasts the likes of T&T World Cup 2006 members Carlos Edwards, Jason Scotland and Anthony Wolfe—saying that the Sangre Grande outfit which his side edged 1-0 in the league competition two weeks ago is “easy to beat.”
In the quarter-final round, thanks to their placements in the random draw, Police FC will tackle Point Fortin Civic and Central FC are against Morvant Caledonia United, while St Ann’s Rangers and W Connection must take on the play-off winners between Club Sando/Defence Force and Ma Pau Stars/San Juan Jabloteh, respectively. The quarter-final round is scheduled for the weekend of November 12-13 and the semifinals on November 22, before the tournament culminates on December 2 with the final.
The Morvant Recreation Ground, Park Street which will host its second ever Pro League fixture on Sunday is one of the community venues air marked to host quarterfinal fixtures in the First Citizens Cup.
Skeene thanked the Honourable Minister of Sport, Darryl Smith, the Ministry of Sport, the Sport Company, and in particular Anthony Blake of the Sport Company for their sterling efforts which are ongoing, together with the regional corporation.
Schedule
First Citizens Cup 2016
Playoff Round
Tuesday
Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva:
Club Sando vs Defence Force, 6 pm
Ma Pau Stars vs San Juan Jabloteh, 8 pm
Quarterfinals: November 12-13
Semifinals: November 22
Final: December 2.