The inaugural Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Under-10 football competition will kick off today.

Sponsored by the Guardian Group to the tune of $1,000,000, the tournament will be held at the Football Factory and has attracted a battery of 18 teams — 15 of which are KSAFA-affiliated clubs. The winners will pocket $70,000, second place $60,000, third place $50,000, and fourth place $40,000.

The tournament is a six-a-side competition that will be played in four zones over two days. The games will be played over 20 minutes at 10 minutes per half with a five-minute break. The top two teams from the groups will advance to the quarter-finals. Following this, it will be a straight knockout route to the finals. Teams will comprise five out-field players and one goalkeeper.

KSAFA president Wayne Shaw made the announcement at Guardian Group’s head office in Kingston and said the move was a milestone event in “KSAFA’s push for football development to begin from an early age.

“To get this tournament off the ground makes me one of the happiest persons in Jamaica today. Since taking over from Ambassador Stewart Stephenson this is one of the things I wanted to get going, to see the youths start playing at a younger age.

“This Under-10 tournament is going to be the first. We are doing it in a festival format for the first; we plan to have three for the year. This weekend, in the summer, and then at Christmas. We are hoping that Guardian Life will be so happy with what they have seen so that they will come on board next year,” the president said.

Guardian Life Limited President Eric Hosin, in remarks before handing over his company’s sponsorship cheque, extolled the virtues of starting structured football development at an early age and and said the Under-10 age level is quite a good age begin.

“Football has become such an important sport for nation-building in Jamaica. If you go to any given community, I am certain you will see a football field in close proximity. It is one of those unifying games that connects people from all walks of life… On the field, everybody is equal, and ultimately plays towards one goal — that of winning.

“I am sure most of us in this room remember when the Reggae Boyz made history by becoming the first team from an English-speaking Caribbean to qualify for the FIFA World Cup — It was such a defining moment for our nation. It brought such a sense of pride that we still enjoy when we see our sportsmen and women perform internationally. Colleagues, a tournament such as this will help to prepare our youngsters for that international stage.

“Guardian Life also supports this tournament because it encourages physical activity. When I was younger, my parents had to beg us to stop playing outside; now parents have to encourage children to play outside.”

He continued: “Here at Guardian Life, we are committed to the promotion of healthy lifestyle, which is one of the reasons the Guardian Group Foundation hosts its series of Keep Fit sessions as part of the promotion of the Keep It Alive 5K Night Runs.

Hosin pointed out that since inception in 2014, the races have had close to 30,000 participants and raised over $57,000,000, which has been used to purchase well-needed medical equipment for several hospitals.

“This year as we run, walk, or wheel on Saturday May 26 in Kingston and on Saturday June 2 in Montego Bay, we encourage members of KSAFA to join us on this journey to raise funds for the beneficiaries of the race.