WESTERN SPORTS - Hopewell, Stingers full of confidence

WESTERN BUREAU:

The J. Wray and Nephew-sponsored Western Domino League returns tomorrow with the semi-final round of Division Two between favourites and mid-season champions Glendevon CDC All-Star and Western Stars.

The other semi-final will feature the second end-of-round winners Hawkeye Stingers from Hopewell, Hanover, up against Lilliput's Peace and Love. Both matches will be played at the Western Domino Association headquarters on Barnett Street, Montego Bay.

"These will definitely be two highly charged matches as the teams will be fighting for the coveted final spots and a chance to win the title and promotion to Division One," said Walford Morgriege, the league coordinator.

"Glendevon is one of the favourites so, too, is Stingers, but it is a semi-final and the team best prepared for it will be winners," declared Morgriege.

For Tardo Nelson, captain of the Peace and Love Domino Club, being in the semi-final is a good way of bringing more love to the Lilliput community, from where Peace and Love has its base.

"This domino competition brings unification to our community, especially on match days when many fans come to see us play," said Nelson.

STRONG TEAM

"We draw approximately 21 players, mostly from Lilliput, but several others from adjoining communities, which makes us a strong team and we are primed for victory, no joke about that," Nelson added.

Nelson said that domino is a constant crowd-puller in his community, allowing for the interaction between young and older folks, while bringing a level of organised entertainment.

His counterpart Errol Lindo, the Hawkeye Stingers captain, believes a semi-final win and subsequent victory in the final will bring untold joy to Hopewell, where the club is based.

"Here in Hopewell the people have been supporting the domino in really spectacular fashion and if we win the title it will bring real pride to the area," Lindo said.

"Hopewell is a domino town, everyone loves the game and we hope to make them happy by winning on Sunday and again in the final should we get that far," he said.

Semi-finals for the top two divisions - Premier League and Division One - will be played on January 12, with Assassin taking on Strike Force in one semi-final and Tropical Riddim meeting the winner of the Deeside/B52 Bomb Squad game, which is scheduled to be played tomorrow.

- Paul Clarke