The game of dominoes has played a key role in the lives of the Jamaican people from all walks of life for many generations.

It’s commonplace to find a domino table in every nook and cranny, whether it be outside a bar, at a family gathering or at the workplace, to accommodate lovers of the game.

To celebrate the spirit of the game, Nutramix launched its first annual Double-Six Championships where 16 teams from eight regional competitions (first-and second-place winners) will contest the grand finals of the Nutramix Double Six Championships to take place at the University of Technology (UTech) this Saturday.

The event will see domino teams battling for not only bragging rights, but a sizeable cash prize of $250,000.

Tina Hamilton, brand manager for Nutramix, explained the objectives of the series which started back in August.

“This tournament was conceived in an effort to give back to the agricultural community in a fun way. Dominoes is a game that so many Jamaicans enjoy, farmers included. Nutramix is known as the community brand, so this is one way for us to get involved, bring the agri-community together to have fun and win,” said Hamilton.

The first regional competition kicked off in St Elizabeth late August, with others following in St Thomas, Manchester, St Mary, St Catherine, St Andrew, Westmoreland and St James.

Team shooters Delmond Grant and Terrence Daniels took the win for St James on Saturday at Anchovy High.

Several prizes are given to participants and winners at the regional level, including a cash prize of $50,000 for the winning team. Each team consists of two players, but the catch is that one team member must be a farmer of either crops or livestock.

Hamilton explained the decision to target farmers.

“Nutramix is more than feed; it’s about developing the agri-community to farming together and making a better Jamaica. To date, the response has been extremely positive and patrons have really enjoyed themselves. There has been a lot of camaraderie amongst competitors,” she said.

Hamilton provided insight into this Saturday’s grand finale.

“We have two tournaments happening. With registration beginning at 2:00 pm, the first one will be a mini tournament open to anyone who missed the regionals, but [who] still wants to show us what they got. It will be open to the first 32 teams to sign up on the day.

“The winners of this tournament will take home $25,000 cash prize. They will also receive trophies, domino packs and the winning team will each receive a domino table with stools,” Hamilton explained.

Prior to taking the competition on a national scale this year, it was held via mini tournaments in specific rural areas. There are plans to continue the competition next year.