Former Reggae Boy Nathan Smith will today co-host a five-a-side football extravaganza at the Standpipe Sports Complex in St Andrew on Saturday.

Action is set to get underway at 10:00 am, and when the dust would have settled in the evening, one team will walk away with the winner-take-all prize of $500,000.

Billed the Blendy Ballers Five-A-Side, the tournament is a fast-paced men’s football fiesta with many intriguing twists and turns and will be contested by mainly teams from in and around the Standpipe community.

This is not your every day tournament as each team will have Blendy Power Cards that they can use to help them win the prize. The Blendy Power Cards are: Keeper Out where the opponents’ will have no goalkeeper for one minute; Mo’ Time, which is an extra one minute of playing time; Penalty, which is a penalty shot against the opponent; Silencer, where the opposing side will lose one of their players for one minute. Special Blendy Power Card will be introduced for teams that make it through to the semi-finals.

The event, which is expected to be the first of an annual series, is also co-sponsored by Smith’s healthy drink Blendy and his partner, popular UK social media influencer PKHumble.

Smith, who had two friendly matches for the Boyz back in 2011 as a left-back, said he was inspired to stage the tournament for his love of the Standpipe people in particular and the Jamaican people on a whole.

“I love football and I love the vibe that Jamaican culture brings so when you merge the two, you get full enjoyment.

“Standpipe is a place that has been very welcoming to me every time that I have been in Jamaica, I always get a warm response from the community. It feels right to have the first-ever Blendy Ballers football tournament in Standpipe to give back to the community,” he said.

Standpipe is sometimes in the news for acts of crime and violence, but Smith says he has never seen that side of the community and received nothing but love since he first visited the area on a mission to make links with Jamaican music insiders.

“Standpipe has always been welcoming to me as I have said, so I’ve never seen that side of violence or crime. But what I believe is that the joy of football will bring unity and even more good vibes to the community,” he said.

Speaking on his Blendy health drink, Smith says the product is growing and popular with professional footballers and other sportsmen in Britain.

“Blendy is an all-natural plant-based drink made from only four ingredients — key limes, agave, Jamaican ginger and hydrogen water. It is known to heal the body and instantly hydrate the body. Footballers, especially, love it,” he said.

Meanwhile Smith, 37, said he had a stellar season with semi-professional outfit Hashtag United in the United Kingdom where he walked off with a few personal accolades.

“I currently play for a team called Hashtag United and I was honoured with three awards this last season, which were the Managers’ Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and the Fans’ Player of the Season award,” said the former Yeovil Town defender.

Though he never got his fair shake with the national football programme, the ex-Chesterfield man ranks his brief stint with the Boyz as a signature moment in a journeyman career.

“That was, honestly, a dream come true to represent my country and it was unforgettable and one of the best experiences I had. I would love to play for Jamaica again one day or have some other involvement with the national programme,” he noted.

And even though time is against him, Smith continues to work hard at improving his overall game.

“My football goal now as a player is to continue perfecting my craft, and I will continue to teach and learn from the young players as well as the seasoned players.

“I would like to grow my football channel Blendy Ballers to help aspiring and experienced footballers improve their understanding of the game and help them understand the mental health side of football,” Smith concluded.