The 22nd edition of the Inter Bank Football League (IBFL) kicks off tomorrow with an opening ceremony at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Centre of Excellence, Macoya. Twelve teams will open the tournament with a brief march and field line up followed by an exciting double header match-up between reigning League champions Unit Trust Corporation versus reigning Knockout champions Eastern Credit Union. The second match will be between Brent Sancho's VFI and a Bank All Star team. The IBFL is renowned for serious football and talented players and as part of another successful year of the running of the league, the executive intends to inculcate through its membership, greater staff and community sensibilities while generating camaraderie amongst members and external stakeholders.
"The financial sector is a significant community player and as such, the tournament is an excellent forum for the public to see the 'soft' side of us–our kinship and cooperative spirit," were the sentiments expressed by a member of the executive. The league is non-profit, therefore teams play for much-coveted bragging rights and a challenge trophy. It runs from July to October and consists of four tournaments: League, Knockout, Big Four and Best of the Rest. The participating teams will include Central Bank of T&T, Citi T&T, Republic Bank Limited, RBC Royal Bank, Eastern Credit Union, First Citizens Group, Unit Trust Corporation of T&T, Scotiabank, National Insurance Board, Aero Services Credit Union, Community Care Credit Union and Sagicor.