IN a last-minute rush, hundreds of youth flooded the Institute of Sports’ main office with a view to getting registered for the upcoming Claro/INSPORTS All-Island Community Football Championship, set to kick off on November 27.

The intensity of their interest was undoubtedly visible when representatives from what would normally be warring factions, could be seen exchanging pleasantries as they streamed into the National Arena with one common goal in mind.

A whopping $500,000 will go to the champions, with parish winners receiving cash prize for the first time after telecoms giant Claro decided to come on board as title sponsor.

The Institute of Sports, being the agency of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, with the responsibility of developing and implementing sports in the country, sees the game of football as a unifying factor in promoting unity, fostering leadership, camaraderie and increasing discipline in all youth, especially at the grassroots level.

Some of the communities that were presented from Kingston and St Andrew were Mall Road, August Town, Jacques Road, Grants Pen to make mention of a few.

What was remarkable about yesterday’s activities was that discipline was the order of the day as members of the various communities listened attentively to the rules and requirements associated with this nation-building event.

On seeing the large gathering, organisers of the event took the opportunity to call a forum where assistance needed in the respective communities with regard to the development of sports was discussed.

Some of the areas which will be addressed include the distribution of balls for training and maintenance of playing fields.

The event, targeting in excess of 14,500 unattached youth, had 10,075 players participating in its inauguration last year.