A WHOPPING 40 junior teams will be participating in the annual Barbados Football Cup this Easter.

Co-ordinator George LasCaris said the cup would start on April 9 with the opening ceremony at the National Stadium and three exhibition matches.

The competition dates for the cup, which has been split into four boys' age categories ranging from Under-13s to Under-19s and a women's open division, are fromApril 10 to 14.

"There has been quite a lot of interest from throughout the world. We expect that by the time the fixtures are finalised, we would have 14 teams from overseas who are participating," LasCaris said.

He said the venues for the matches were Banks (Under-13s); Barbados Community College and Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (Under-17s); Under-19s (Police Sports Complex) while theywere hoping to play the Under-15 division at Cable & Wireless and Harrison College.

Among the Caribbean countries which are fielding teams are St Kitts, St Vincent, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana and St Lucia.

On the opening night, there will be a women's game between the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus and a Tobago side, followed by Under-17 and Under-19 games with Barbadian teams opposing their counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent.

Registration closes tomorrow and interested teams should contact LasCaris at telephone: 435-7909; fax 429-3355 or email barbadoscup@hotmail.com. (ES)

Caribbean Football

Sporting islands

BARBADOS