KINGSTON, Jamaica — Seventeen-year-old John Issa emerged a winner in the Eighth Annual Backgammon Fundraising Tournament, which took place over three days on the weekend at Jamaica Inn in St Ann.

The backgammon competition, a highly anticipated tournament among enthusiasts and supporters of the project alike, saw players competing for several interesting prizes.

Issa went up against Wisynco Chairman William Mahfood in the finals.

“Wow, just to accomplish being a finalist was just a lot of luck. I’m happy with the way things turned out,” Issa told Observer Online on Sunday.

The teenager won a trophy, US$2500 and a three-night stay at Jamaica Inn, among other prizes.

Mahfood, whose company was a sponsor of the event, said backgammon is a game he plays as a hobby.

“I play backgammon as a means of trying to stimulate my brain and to keep myself focused on life. It’s a very strategic game, and it’s something that I do as a hobby in my spare time, and I enjoy it very much,” he said.

Hosted by the Jamaica Inn Foundation, the competition aims to raise funding for the maintenance of the White River Fish Sanctuary, which plays a crucial role in Jamaica’s marine ecosystem.

Sharing the reason his company decided to sponsor the event, Mahfood said: “We have been involved since inception. What they’re doing for the White River Fish Sanctuary here is amazing. My cousin has a home near here and sometimes we come down and when I look over the course of the last ten years, and the impact they’ve had on the environment, it’s been amazing. Just that alone is reason to sponsor.”

Managing director of Jamaica Inn Hotel and a director at the Jamaica Inn Foundation, Kyle Mais, is pleased with this year’s staging of the event.

“This is our eighth staging of the tournament and we’re very pleased to have hosted it. Aside from the game itself and the sport aspect, it’s a great way to bring visitors, local residents and guests to the hotel. Backgammon is a very popular sport around the world, and it’s also a great tool for us to use to raise funds; it’s our biggest fundraiser for the White River Fish Sanctuary,” Mais said.