Prince of Wales Peace Cup – Soccer to Stem Violence

Britain’s Prince Charles has kicked off a soccer initiative to help tackle the youth violence in Jamaica.

The six-a-side tournament will be staged in August involving 19,000 young people, both male and female, as a way of getting teenagers involved with sport.

The Prince of Wales’s Community Peace Cup is being run by Beacons for Peace and Achievement, an organisation which is the Jamaican arm of a leadership programme established by the Metropolitan Black Police Association in Jamaica and other countries, including the UK and South Africa.

Kingston youngsters showed off their ball juggling skills Wednesday (Mar 12) before the prince  was asked to draw from a bowl the parish which will host the first game.

He picked St Elizabeth to laughter from the invited audience at the event held near King’s House, the residence of Jamaica’s Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall, before taking a few shots at goal himself.

British football club Charlton Athletic are involved in the tournament and will officiate at the event and help with training and coaching.

Paul Mortimer, technical director of the club’s women’s team who attended the launch, said: “Football is a way of drawing the youngsters in and keeping them away from violence. This is not for two minutes. I’m hoping we’ll be involved for years to come.”