FESCO football field played host to the thrilling final of the Pocket Rocket Six-A-Side Football Competition on December 3.

Real City and Basement did battle in the scintillating final that ended 1-0 at the whistle in favour of Real City.

Pocket Rocket Foundation founder, Olympian Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was present for the action and expressed pleasure at how the competition turned out and how it galvanised the community.

“We are celebrating our 10th anniversary as a foundation and this competition has been a staple for many years. The community has really come together over the past several weeks to cheer on and support their favourite teams, which is exactly what we wanted to see.” Fraser-Pryce commented.

The winning coach Lennoy Noble expressed great happiness about the win. His team had to overcome having two players with groin injuries and he was pleased his team was able to play a hard-fought final and emerge with the victory.

“It was a good day. Kudos to the Basement football team, they put up a good fight, but never-the-less we came out victorious. I just want to say thanks to the team for their excellent work and also give thanks to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for putting this competition together,” Noble said.

Real City captain Kwesi Innswood was even more jubilant and congratulated his opponents for a well-played final match. “This win means everything to us,” he said. “The competition was fierce, and Basement really gave us a run for our money, but our determination and teamwork brought us through. We’re ecstatic.”

The team awards were handed out after the game with the top three teams Real City, Basement and Black Strikers walking away with $280,000, $180,000 and $80,000 respectively.

Team Eurotrend was also awarded the Best Dressed Team award and walked away with a cash prize of J$15,000 for adding the best style to the competition.

Individual excellence was also awarded with awards for Best Defender and Most Valuable Player sponsored by Digicel. Real City’s Oraine Blackwood and Ackeem Green bagged the respective honours.

Commenting on their achievements, Green said: “Defence is often overlooked, so this award is an honour. It’s a testament to the hard work we put in as a team”. Blackwood agreed, saying, “Individual awards are great, but it’s the team effort that got us here. This is a victory for all of Real City.”

FESCO Gas, the title sponsor, also sweetened the prize pot with a gas voucher worth J$10,000 to the leading goal scorer, Lion Den’s Ackeem Brown of Lion Den. Brown also received a cell phone and phone credit courtesy of Digicel.

Additionally, there was acknowledgment of important roles being played by persons off the field needed for the game to happen seamlessly. The ball boys were given Digicel Gift bags and J$5,000 each in appreciation of the role they played and for being the unsung heroes of the tournament. CEO of Sanmerna Foundation Robert White expressed gratitude, stating, “Their role may be behind the scenes, but it’s essential to the smooth flow of the game. We appreciate their dedication.”

The Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side Football Competition stands as a testament to the unifying power of sports, bringing communities together in the pursuit of excellence and camaraderie.

The success of the Six-A-Side ‘Peace Through Sports’ Competition was underscored by the collaborative sponsorship of FESCO Gas, NIKE, Digicel, Wisynco (WATA, Powerade, and Trushake brands), GraceKennedy, and Sanmerna Paper Products Foundation.