A day of rains and blustery winds did little to deter hundreds of boys and girls coming out to the A.O. Shirley Ground last Saturday, 23 April, 2016, as the F.A. re-launched the Digicel Centre of Excellence. Photo: Provided

The Digicel Centre of Excellence will continue every Saturday for boys and girls both from Tortola and Virgin Gorda. Photo: Provided

“This Centre of Excellence is designed to give all the youths selected a safe and happy environment in which to learn and is designed to provide you with a place to showcase your talents, whilst developing new skills,” commented Avanell Morton, BVIFA Executive Member responsible for Youth Development.

On behalf of Digicel, Sponsorship Executive Katasha Melville, who was on hand to deliver the branded shirts for the players, stated “Digicel is always behind sports and it’s great to have all the boys and girls here to be given such an excellent opportunity to improve their skills.”

Angelique Kanhai, who was in the territory visiting the new Stadium site, encouraged the youngsters to carry on working hard. “I see you are all very dedicated to come out in this rain and weather, and I’m looking forward to seeing how you all perform if selected for the national teams,” she said.

BVIFA President, Mr Andy Bickerton concluded the brief ceremony with thanks to Digicel as well as explaining how the Centre of Excellence fits into the development process.

“It’s great to have the support of Digicel for this programme. As everyone knows we have over 1,000 young people participating in our after schools programme and this is another stage in our player pathway from Grassroots to National Representative teams. The Association is very committed to looking after our youths and create opportunities for you all.”

The Digicel Centre of Excellence will continue every Saturday for boys and girls both from Tortola and Virgin Gorda.