BROOKLYN, New York (CMC) — Twelve teams will vie for the coveted title, “Kings of New York Caribbean Football,” when the 2010 New York Caribbean Football Cup kicks off today at the Jefferson High School Stadium here.

The teams comprise Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Defending champions Jamaica, who won the 19-year-old Cup for a record sixth time last year, will compete in the East Zone, along with Guyana, Honduras, Haiti, St Lucia, and Columbia. The Jamaicans have also won the tournament five consecutive times in the past.

In the West Zone, last year’s runners-up and five-time champions, St Vincent and the Grenadines, will battle with Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St Kitts and Nevis. In last season’s grand finale, Jamaica beat SVG 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Cup president Vincentian Fred Ballantyne predicted that this year’s tournament — sponsored by telecommunications giants Digicel for the second consecutive year — will be highly competitive.

“I think we’ll get a better competition this year,” he told CMC Sports.

“A number of teams will be bringing up players from the Caribbean,” he added, disclosing that Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, SVG, St Lucia and Jamaica had already indicated they would do so.

Ballantyne said the standard of Caribbean football in Brooklyn had been improving over the years, pointing out that five players from the tournament were drafted after last season championship to play professional football in Europe.

“That speaks volumes about the calibre of football being played and how important it is for Caribbean and South American nationals living in New York to have the opportunity to compete in such a prestigious competition,” he said.

Today’s opening ceremony, starting at 2:15 pm, will be preceded by an exhibition match, at 12:30 pm featuring Central Brooklyn Soccer League (CBSL) teams Nigeria and UNISOC. Organisers of the Caribbean Cup also run the CBSL.

At 4:15 pm, Guyana will battle Haiti in the first competitive match of the season with Barbados challenging SVG at 6 pm.

The championship runs for 15 successive Sundays until the grand final on Labour Day Sunday, September 5.