MVP award named after Dominic James
ANEW most valuable player (MVP) award will be handed out for this year’s FLOW Super Cup, which kicks off on October 21.
The award will be called the Dominic James MVP Award in memory of the former St George’s College captain who collapsed during a Manning Cup match on September 20 and died after being rushed to hospital.
FLOW’s vice-president for marketing and television Carlo Redwood described the St George’s captain as a “leader, very dependable, disciplined and humble” at yesterday’s launch of the 2016 Super Cup at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.
“We have decided to introduce a new award this year, and the award will pay recognition to young Dominic James in a special way. He is the only player to have won both Super Cup trophies, first with Jamaica College and St George’s College,” Redwood stated.
A moment’s silence was also observed in memory of the player. Meanwhile, Dominic’s father, David, said the family was in ‘awe’, but he thought his son deserved to have the award named in his honour.
HUMBLING EXPERIENCE
“The award means a lot for us as his parents ... We (parents) think it is very significant, we are awed by it. We are humbled as we didn’t know his reach was so far . ... the people he influenced and who love him. He was only a young man,” James told The Gleaner at yesterday’s function.
Meanwhile, there will be some other new features to the tournament this year. The draw for the first round of games will take place at the National Indoor Sports Centre on October 19.
Unlike last season when all the first-round matches were played on the same day, this season, the opening round of matches will be contested over two days (Friday and Saturday) at two venues, Sabina Park (Kingston) and Catherine Hall (Montego Bay), starting at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. There will also be a Super Cup anthem, which will be played prior to the start of every game.
Each team qualifying for the Super Cup is guaranteed $25,000 for making the first round. The amount doubles after each round. The quarter-final teams will receive $50,000, semi-finalists $100,000, and the finalists $200,000 each. MVP and Golden Boot winners will receive trophies and $100,000 towards their personal development. The winning school is set to take home a prize purse of $1 million.