The Star Burst Park Equal Opportunity tournament is the only consistent non-division female competition in Bombali District and the fifth edition participated by four teams Rising Queens FC in Makeni, Kunsho Queens FC from Kunsho, Malimba Queens in Binkolo,,, and Area Queens in Makeni climaxed in July.

Rising Queens Football Club emerged as champions for the second consecutive time defeating Kunsho Queens 2-0 in the finals, which also earned them a non-refundable trophy after winning the competition on three occasions.

Chief Organizer Amadu S. Koroma stated that StarBurst Park is a non-profit making organization adding when the CEO Ibrahim Kanu returned to Canada for vacation in Sierra Leone he noticed that there was no platform for the female players to trade their talents as both the country’s FA and organizers of the mini-leagues only focused on the male category at that time last year in November and it was against that backdrop the tournament was named “equal opportunity” to break the barrier” he disclosed.

He furthered that, apart from the champions and runners-up prize the tournament also recognized the extraordinary performance of the teams and the players including; a package for a team that report on time throughout the tournament, the Playmaker of the Month bagged home a package and a medal, also there is a package for the group stage winners and a certificate for the player of the match.

Koroma also revealed that during the fuel crisis StarBurst Park also aided the teams with transportation for them to honor their fixtures as the competition is played on a home and away basis, and due to the current rainy weather the tournament will resume in September “The equal opportunity tournament will resume again in September and another grand- style we will be providing medals to the players of the team that will emerge as champions” he disclosed.

Zainab Jalloh who plays for Rising Queens Football Club that emerged as the top goal scorer and the Player Maker of the month for both the May and July edition asserted that ‘We were distracted after we failed to qualify for the Women’s Premier League, but the Star Burst Park’s equal opportunity tournament indeed has been providing the platform we needed and I remain grateful to the organizers” she gratified