Bolt-sponsored team is first rural Junior Cup All-Island champion

Duanvale Primary created history on Saturday, becoming the first school from outside Kingston to win the Youth Football League’s Junior Cup All-Island Championship.

The Trelawny school overcame Balmagie Primary in the final at Ferdi Neita Park, bringing a memorable conclusion to the tournament’s fifth staging.

The victory carried special significance for Trelawny, the home parish of sprint legend Usain Bolt. Duanvale entered the tournament through the Usain Bolt Foundation’s sponsorship of schools from the region, which were heavily affected by Hurricane Melissa.

For the Youth Football League, returning to Trelawny almost a year after the hurricane reflected an important commitment to ensuring that children in recovering communities continued to receive support and opportunities to participate in sport.

Reflecting on the work behind Duanvale’s success, the school’s principal emphasised the importance of supporting students both on the field and in the classroom.

“It is a lot of work, but we are committed to helping our footballers do well because it is important to balance sports with academics,” she said.

The championship marked the culmination of regional competitions in Kingston and St Andrew, Trelawny and St Catherine, bringing together schools from different parishes and communities.

Twelve teams contested the All-Island Finals, with 18 first-round matches played before the knockout stages.

Duanvale’s route to the title demonstrated remarkable resilience. After losing their opening two group matches to Iris Gelly and Mona Heights, they rebounded to defeat Independence City 4-0 and secure a quarter-final place.

They then beat Spanish Town Primary 1-0 in the quarter-finals and fellow Trelawny school Hague Primary 1-0 in the semi-finals before defeating Balmagie to claim the championship.

Balmagie reached the final after beating Iris Gelly 2-1 in the quarter-finals and producing a dramatic comeback against Mona Heights in the semi-finals. Trailing 1-0, they scored twice in the final five minutes to secure a 2-1 victory.

In the other quarter-finals, Mona Heights defeated Southborough 4-2, while Hague and Bridgeport drew 2-2 before Hague advanced with a 2-0 penalty-shoot-out win.

Mona Heights and Hague finished as losing semi-finalists, while Balmagie secured the runners-up spot.

More than $500,000 in prizes were handed over, including football gear, medals, trophies and gift certificates, along with special recognition for players and coaches.

Duanvale collected the championship trophy and winners’ medals, while Balmagie received the runners-up awards.

Individual honours went to Nick-J Grant of Duanvale Primary, who was named Most Valuable Player; Kenido Wright, who claimed the Leading Goalscorer award with 10 goals; and Khajeel Thompson of Balmagie Primary, who received the Best Goalkeeper award. Recognition also extended to the championship-winning coach.

On hand to assist with the awards and presentations were Reggae Boyz legend Ian ‘Pepe’ Goodison and Nugent Walker, Usain Bolt’s executive manager and a director of the Usain Bolt Foundation.

Walker said he was delighted that the trophy was heading to Trelawny and that the foundation’s support reflected a broader commitment to children in the parish.

“We are happy to once again support the Youth Football League, having sponsored its initiatives on multiple occasions. This occasion was particularly important to us, given the work FYI has done in the parish of Trelawny and the significant role football and sport play in children’s lives. We wanted to help ensure that our youth in Trelawny were not left behind,” Walker said.

Paula Pinnock, managing director of the Youth Football League, said Duanvale’s achievement reflected the purpose behind establishing the competition.

“We started this because there were limited opportunities for children to play organised football consistently. I am happy we made that decision, and we are proud of how we have helped shape the grassroots landscape. It is encouraging to see so many more tournaments emerging, giving more children wider access to football throughout the year, particularly outside Kingston,” Pinnock said.