The Barbados Football Association (BFA) was founded in 1910
and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010.
Bridgetown,
Barbados – The Barbados Football Association
(BFA) has today announced it will play host to the Caribbean launch of the 2025
Hearts Of Many (HOM) Aviation Cup, in collaboration with the Barbados Tourism
Marketing Inc. (BTMI) and the HOM aviation charity.
Set to kick off at 4pm tomorrow at the BFA Technical
Centre in Wildey, the Aviation Cup will include a mixture of international aviation
teams and local teams from British Airways UK, British Airways Barbados, the
Barbados Defence Force (BDF), O2 Beach Club by Ocean Hotels, JetBlue, Virgin
Atlantic/Delta Airways (combined team), and Weymouth Wales F.C.
Play will take the format of a ‘round robin’ with 10
matches, each 10 minutes in duration, with the top four teams advancing into
the Semi-Final games, from which the winners will then battle it out in the
Aviation Cup Final.
The evening will also include performances by popular
local artist Biggie Irie and a live DJ from the UK, as well as a raffle draw with
the chance to win prizes such as a Segway, limited edition Nike trainers, a Nike
tracksuit, and a meal for two at L’Azure Restaurant at the Crane Beach Resort.
The inaugural
HOM Aviation Cup was launched last year in the UK with much success, and Organizer
Kurt Morlese says with the support of the BTMI and the BFA, he intends to make the
event an annual fixture on the Barbados sports tourism calendar.
“This
event is a great combination of sports and entertainment and aligns perfectly with
my passion for both football and aviation, as well as connects me with my Bajan
heritage,” he said.
“We aim to use the HOM Aviation Cup to bring
overseas visitors from all over the world to sunny Barbados each year to help
boost local businesses, the economy, and of course provide the local footballing
community something different that they can enjoy too. In addition, we will
provide local Barbadians with support in gaining aviation apprenticeships and qualifications.
We chose the BFA Technical Centre as our venue because
it is safe, secure, and the quality of the pitch is of a top international
standard. Where better to host such an electrifying event, than at the official
‘home of football’ in Barbados? We thank the BFA and the BTMI for helping us to
make this happen and encourage everyone to come out and support the event tomorrow
evening.”
BTMI Business Development Officer UK Office Cedric
Lynch echoed these sentiments, emphasizing he is delighted to be bringing the
Aviation Cup to Barbados and to have the opportunity to highlight the calibre
of the island’s footballing facilities, as well as showcase the diverse
attractions, cuisine, and atmosphere that destination Barbados has to offer to an
international audience.
“This event will continue to showcase Barbados’
facilities, infrastructure, and ability to host sporting activities at a variety
of levels, and bears testament to the faith our travel partners in the Aviation
Industry have in the island, and the diversity of our sports tourism offering,”
he said.
“There are of course also benefits to the local
football community, in that the exposure can create further opportunities for
the BFA to host even more international events and tournaments, as well as provide
local teams with the benefit of playing against different styles of international
competition and learning from our global partners, both on and off the pitch.
Given that the current infrastructural upgrades to encompass additional
facilities at the BFA Technical Centre are soon to be completed, we look
forward having even more to shout about in our overseas BTMI offices for this
sporting discipline in Barbados.”
BFA President Randy Harris thanked both HOM Aviation
Cup organizers and the BTMI for their collaboration and said he was pleased the
BFA Technical Centre was their venue of choice.
“This speaks volumes about the BFA’s continued
investment in our football facilities in Barbados,” he said. “Thanks to the FIFA
Forward Programme, our pitch now impressively meets FIFA Field Certification
criteria, enabling us to host international matches and events such as these. To
be able to say the standard of our football facility is world-class is a
tremendous achievement and the BFA is committed to developing all facets of
football in Barbados, including expanding further into sports tourism.
The BFA thanks HOM Aviation Cup organizers, the
BTMI, and all the teams and participants for choosing the home of football in
Barbados to host your event, and we look forward to strengthening our ties moving
forward to benefit all involved.”
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Caption: HOM Aviation Cup teams arrived yesterday in Barbados to compete in tomorrow night’s event.
Media
enquires:
Amy
Goulding
BFA Communications Director
+1 (246) 820 8695
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