A victory for the community says Brother’s United’s Hoyte

Describing their unexpected triumph in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ West Demerara Championship, as a victory for the community of Crane, Adami Hoyte, captain of Brothers United sat down with Stabroek News to discuss their success and the significance of the event.

Brothers United ended the three year reign of Showstoppers in the championship, defeating the home side 1-0 on penalty kicks on the 15th in the finale at the Pouderoyen Tarmac.

Following is the interview.

SN: What does it mean for the team and community to win the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ tournament?

 AH: It means a lot for us to win, because we were supported by the community and representing the community for quite some time. We were finally in a position to win it and we did and the community even gave us a motorcade which shows how much it meant to them. It means a lot to both the team and community and we will continue to be supported by the community in the future.

 SN: How important is the Guinness tournament to the respective communities, fans and players?

 AH: This is a very important tournament because it’s nationwide and it gives players the platform to showcase their talents in this format. Players can even get to represent on a national level and it gives us a chance to compete against other players from other regions.

 SN: Why do you think the Guinness Street tournaments and street-ball in general has achieved such a high level of popularity and is embraced by the communities and teams?

 AH: The tournament gives a community bragging rights as to what they produce in that format which is different from clubs. Pouderoyen Showstoppers were the champion for three years, now we, a team from Crane are now the champions and have the bragging rights. It is also because of the brand which is a national and world brand and persons would like to have an impact in such a tournament and represent the brand.

 SN: Why do you believe street-ball has received criticism for some corners of the society and do you think it’s warranted?

 AH: I think it’s being criticized because the format is different from the traditional sport but it’s not warranted because the Guinness tournament does a lot for the youth and communities. It is making a great impact to the overall sport by providing opportunities for the players. I think it’s almost equally popular with the traditional format, the only thing is that I have not seen a Street-Football World Cup but we have seen a Caribbean version and any player would love to be a part of this event so the criticism is not warranted.

 SN:How a big of role has Banks DIH and the Guinness Brand played in the development of the street-ball format?

 AH:I must say thanks to Banks DIH, to the promoters and more importantly to the Guinness Brand for the work they have put in to this format. It has taken a lot of youths off the streets and has played a great role for not only the youths, but for the fans and the communities. Banks DIH and Guinness have been pivotal to the development of street-football and without them, Street football probably wouldn’t exist.

 SN: What are some of the areas that can be improved upon especially for the players, to propel the tournament to further heights and improve the overall event?

 AH:I think a playing area in every community would make a big impact in terms of developing more talented players and increasing participation in the future.

 SN: Are the Guinness Championships the most popular and anticipated tournaments locally for players and fans and has the street-ball format surpassed the popularity of the traditional game?  

 AH: I wouldn’t say surpassed but I would say its equal and the support is growing each year. Field football is not played often and not getting the support because the smaller format is more exciting and competitive. I think street-football will surpass the traditional game because it is exciting and has more support and the communities look forward to it.