New KO football competition coming next month
Published:Tuesday | October 25, 2022 | 12:11 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
AS part of their new initiative, Lynk, who recently inked a three-year agreement with the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) to introduce a digital payment solution for football matches on the island, will be adding a new Gold Cup tournament, which Kemoi Burke, brand and sponsorship manager at Lynk, coined as the FA Cup for Jamaican football.
“The Gold Cup is going to be a knockout competition, where we will have double headers on Friday nights to create a big entertainment-type football event. This will include the 14 teams from the JPL (Jamaica Premier League) as well as the ten teams from the JFF (Jamaica Football Association) tier two league. So all 24 teams will be vying for the Lynk Gold Cup. This competition will happen when the JPL goes on pause, which will align with the start of the men’s FIFA World Cup.
“So between November 21 and December 18, the Gold Cup will happen. Teams will be playing weekly, and we will be bringing in new things to football by trying to give incentives to the teams and players to ensure that the games are attacking,” said Burke.
Both players and teams will receive cash awards for goals and skills that are displayed during their fixture.
“It will be exciting. I’m not trying to have anyone hold on for a 1-0 win. I’m trying to bring attacking football. There will be monetary incentives for teams and players. For players, it will be for each goal scored and for each element that we consider to be an exciting part of football. Unlike other competitions, where you pay out at the end of the season, what we (Lynk) will do is pay out at the end of each match.”
Burke said they wanted to bring this type of excitement to local football because the COVID-19 pandemic had brought the sport to a halt and they wanted fans to start enjoying football again.
“We are now trying to create a new excitement around football. Football by itself is exciting, but with our partnership with Romeich Entertainment, we want to bring an added level of entertainment to football. We’re trying to improve it both on the field and in the stands,” added Burke.