There was plenty of exciting action during the Special Olympics Football Championships.
With a blistering barrage of nine goals in the competition, Ricardo Bertram led his Learning Centre teammates to the Championship Trophy in the Senior Division of the Special Olympics Barbados National Games Football Championship held last weekend.
Bertram’s performance also won him the Senior Division Most Valuable Player Award.† Five teams were in action in seven-a-side play at the Police Sports Club Grounds at Weymouth and taking second position were the athletes from Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School. Third place went to Ann Hill School, Fourth place was taken by Challenor Creative Arts Training Centre (Team A) and fifth place also went to the Challenor Creative Arts Training Centre (Team B).
All Saints Primary rewarded
The younger athletes were not to be outdone when they took to the field of play. Kadeem Brewster of the All Saints Primary Special Unit scored five goals in the competition as he and his teammates captured the Championship Trophy in the Junior Division. The Junior Division Most Valuable Player Award went to Martin Greene of the Eagle Hall Primary Annex. Six teams took part in this five-a-side play with second spot going to Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School, Erdiston Special School took third position, fourth place went to Eagle Hall Primary Annex, St. Matthews Primary Annex (Team B) took fifth position and their Team A took sixth spot.
All the participants were winners, and in addition to the gleaming trophies donated by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, all Special Olympics athletes taking part in the competition received medals or ribbons. The football championship is part of the Special Olympics Barbados National Games, which began in March with track and field, bocce and aquatics. Still to come on the Special Olympics National Games’ schedule is the cricket championship to be held in October.††