A number of violent incidents on and off the pitch marred the Kappa Classic last weekend.

A video captured the moment a young player was kicked karate-style in the chest, while Vasco’s under-15 team were thrown out of the tournament for “behaviour which went against everything the Kappa Classic stands for”.

The Bermuda Police Service were also called to the National Sports Centre on Friday night to deal with an incident involving a number of youths, with eyewitnesses suggesting that a group was attempting to steal a chain from another youngster.

“Shortly after 8.20pm on Friday, April 11, 2025, police received reports of a disturbance at the National Sports Centre,” a police spokesman told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

“A group of youths were reportedly chasing a young man. Upon police arrival there was no sign of a disturbance. However, three teenage males believed to have been involved were engaged by officers. There was no complainant nor any offences observed.

“Anyone who may have footage of the reported incident or has information in relation to that matter, is asked to call the main police number, 295-0011.”

Nigel Burgess, the Kappa Psi president and event co-chairman, confirmed that a player suspected to be involved in that incident was expelled from the tournament.

“A player was involved in the incident and was removed from the field and dismissed from the tournament the following day after being identified as a player,” he said.

That incident occurred on the same night an FC Bascome player was kicked in the chest by a Dandy Town opponent during an under-7 match. The incident was a factor in FC Bascome’s decision to later pull all of their teams out of the tournament.

Henrik Schroder, cofounder of the team along with Andrew Bascome, feels that bad behaviour on the field is increasing

“We obviously saw what happened and we were alarmed,” Schroder said.

“But then when the video showed up and it became very difficult because it’s a young person basically charging at another player with no intention to play the ball at all — and it’s a high kick.

“The player that he kicked from our side had just come off the bench. It was his first touch of the ball after coming on. That tells us it was caused by some kind of revenge because our player came off the bench and had not been part of the game, so why was he the target?

“I think everybody understood at that moment that if this is happening in that age group, Bermuda football has a problem. Games get heated and players get hurt, but in the last three Kappas we’ve had two guys break legs and one a wrist; now this incident.

“If you go on to the bigger perspective, I believe Andrew’s players feel like they are being targeted.”

Schroder claims that tournament officials did not take tough action over the incident, but that was refuted by Burgess.

“We are really disappointed by the unwarranted negativity that has surrounded the full events of that incident,” Burgess said.

“The Kappa committee was made aware of the incident on social media when most of the public were made aware and it was investigated,” he said.

“We felt the incident was adequately handled during the match. The player was sent off the field, a team coach did have words with the player, the parents also attended to the player and the player did apologise to the opposing player.

“It was an on-the-field challenge and the player was sent off, which is the maximum penalty a player can receive in the game. According to our rules, a yellow card you miss the remainder of the game and a red card you are finished for the duration of the tournament.

“The referee did dismiss him from the game and Dandy Town adequately addressed the matter. They issued an apology to FC Bascome and assured them they had addressed the situation. They withdrew the player from the rest of the tournament, so Kappa’s position is that we felt the situation was adequately handled.”

Aside from that incident, Schroder was unhappy that matches unable to be played on Saturday were settled by penalties. He also pointed to the failure to consult with club representatives to address the backlog and play resuming at 7am on Sunday as other reasons for his club’s decision to withdraw teams.

Burgess insists that Kappa had to be completed over the weekend as “no other date was available” and emphasised the decision to determine the outcome of postponed matches with penalties is outlined in the tournament rules.

“Any missed games due to inclement weather results in penalty kicks deciding the game,” he said.

“It’s in line with the rules and that’s what action was taken. The most unfortunate part is that it’s the first time we’ve had to bring these rules into effect because we’ve never had this type of delay before.

“But all coaches and clubs are aware of the rules and agree to the rules when they sign up for the event.“

Kappa organisers also disqualified Vasco’s under-15 team for “behaviour which went against everything the Kappa Classic stands for”.

“After careful consideration and review, the committee made the difficult decision to disqualify a team from the tournament,” read a committee statement.

“This action was not taken lightly but it was necessary to uphold the values we’ve all committed to as part of this event.”

Despite these incidents, Owen Darrell, minister for Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, says the government is committed to continuing its support of the Kappa Classic.

“Despite the challenging weather conditions that interrupted proceedings on Saturday, I would like to recognise the dedication of the brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi, led by chair Nigel Burgess, for their efforts in reorganising the final day to ensure that matches could be played and champions crowned,” Darrell said.

“As a parent, I have experienced the excitement of this event firsthand, as my son is a past champion of Kappa. Having the opportunity to present trophies at this year's competition once again and witness both the joy of the winners and the determination of the runners-up is a testament to the spirit of sport.

“This event not only celebrates competition but also highlights the importance of good sportsmanship, respect, and camaraderie among athletes. It is an event that the Government remains committed to supporting through the Department of Sport and Recreation.”

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