More than 1,000 boys and girls from a record 86 teams, including three from the United States, strutted their stuff at the annual Kappa Classic at the National Sports Centre.

The three-day extravaganza — the largest youth tournament on the Island — allowed youngsters between the ages of 7 and 14 to showcase their talents in front of the thousands of spectators that descended on the NSC.

Richard Augustus, a Kappa Classic committee member, said the tournament had gone from strength to strength since it started 16 years ago and somehow managed to surpass itself each year.

“Despite the bad weather [on Saturday] we didn’t have to cancel any games and the matches were very well attended considering,” Augustus said.

“A lot of Bermuda’s best players have played in the tournament, including Nahki Wells, and it’s great for the development of our future stars besides what they do at their local clubs.

“The event keeps getting bigger and bigger although I think we may have reached our limit now.”

Nigel Burgess, the former Bermuda goalkeeper, who also coaches the Hamilton Parish Under-8 side, said that the Kappa Classic was the highlight on the football calendar for the majority of the Island’s talented young players.

“It’s most definitely the biggest crowd our players will play in front of all season,” said Burgess, who plays in goal for Parish’s Premier Division side. “Our players are always extra amped-up for the Kappa Classic and the organisers always do a great job.”

Chantelle Belboda said that her son Malachai plays for BAA Wanderers Under-8 side had been champing at the bit to make his Kappa Classic debut. “He even set his own alarm clock this morning to make sure he was up in time,” she said.

Shadonna Phipps said that her son Ricardo and his Hamilton Parish Under-8 team-mates had been excited about the prospect of playing in the tournament.

“It’s a very exciting tournament and all of the players look forward to it,” she said.

“The best take on the best and it’s a lot of fun to watch. The players really love it.”

This year’s tournament included eleven girls’ teams participating in three different age groups, under-10, under-12 and under-14.

The tournament’s major sponsors include XL, The Ace Group of Companies, The Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation, Tokio Millennium, Butterfield and Vallis, The Bank of Bermuda Foundation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Atlantic Medical International, Milo (BGA Group of Companies), Catlin, TBI and the Bermuda Tourism Authority.