The fifth staging of the UWI/UTECH Sports Championships is now history with the trophy returning to the hands of this year’s host, the UWI Mona pelicans. They captured their fourth championship, with a narrow 4-3 victory from the seven events contested.
On a day filled with lots of excitement and fierce rivalry, the battle for supremacy came down to the final event on schedule to determine the champion for 2014.
The day’s activities got underway at 10:00am with T20 Cricket. The UWI Pelicans lost the toss and was sent in to bat. They were bundled out for 116 off their 20 overs. Needing 3 runs to win off the last ball of the match, the Knights was steered across the line by one of their top player Cassius Burton, who hit a four across the long off boundary.
Next up was the battle of the ladies in short dresses, skirts and bibs. Both teams presented a strong lineup of present and past national players. UWI team included the likes of Malysha Kelly, goal shooter, Thristina Harwood and former national captain Nadine Bryan. The UTECH squad featured the likes of Althea Byfield, Shanice Beckford, Kadhjah Williams and Shantal Slater. In the end the towering defence of Kelly, the dominant display in center court by Bryan and the accurate long range shots from Harwood saw UWI prevailing 23-17 in a high energy contest. Bryan was named MVP of the game.
The Male rugby league was the third sport to be decided with the Knights rallying to defend their title, coming away with with a 16 to 14 victory in an intense and extremely physical game.
All attention and focus was then turned to the field where the women came face to face in the first football match of the day. The Knights scored an early goal and held off the Pelicans to secure victory, sending their team three to one up in the championship race.
While the Girls battled on the football field the Gymnasium was once again buzzing with sounds of horns, vuvuzelas and loud cheers as the women battled each other on the volley ball court. A keenly contested first set was clinched 25-21 by UWI, before they knocked the winds out of thee sails out of a frustrated Knights team to wrap up the second 25-19, reducing the overall deficit to 3-2.
In the Alumni football match, the Mona Alumni won 1-0 on penalties after a scoreless regulation time.
In the men’s football match the counted, UWI dominated their opposition to come away 2-0 winners.
It was now level at 3 games apiece, and the championship would be decided by the final event of the day, male basketball!.
The Pelican basketball team entered the Gymnasium clad in their red and white uniforms, looking focused and ready to execute a defeat on the waiting Utech Knights. From the sound of the first whistle, the home side went on rampage and never relented, handing the visitors a whopping 68- 41 defeat, and in the process wrapped up another championship for the UWI Pelicans.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login