Scholars International Sports Club celebrated football, community and fundraising with their Raffle & Fair Day, highlighted by a captivating women’s exhibition match.
The event, held at Ed Bush Stadium on 7 July, brought together football enthusiasts for a family-friendly day of games, music and food, all while supporting the club’s initiatives.
The women’s exhibition match concluded with the Swanky Girls securing a 6-4 victory over the Latin Stars in a competitive showcase of skill and camaraderie.
Kaela Ebanks, a Scholars executive member and captain of both the Swanky Girls and Scholars women’s premier league teams, shared details of both squads with the Compass.
“Although Swanky Girls was formed by Scholars for the purpose of our … raffle and fair day, we decided to invite Caymanian players from other teams within the domestic league, and we were fortunate to have four talented players agree to join us,” she said.
The Latin Stars comprised Scholars’ own Honduran women’s premier league team players, along with invited Latin players from other local domestic clubs, including representation from Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Ebanks said that Scholars felt that the exhibition match would hold a special meaning for the Latin players, as it offered a unique opportunity for them to wear their nation’s colours and represent their home country on a more personal, community-focused scale.
“For many of the players, representing their country is not only a dream but a lifelong pursuit,” she added.
The exhibition match also served as a testament to the continued development of Scholars women’s football.
“Scholars women placed a close second place in the 2024/2025 premier football league – a notable step-up from fourth place in the previous season, so this in itself is evidence of development,” Ebanks said.
She added that the exhibition match showcased the talent of Scholars’ women players and gave them every opportunity to play the sport during the off-season to maintain physical fitness and mental sharpness.
Beyond the excitement of the match, Scholars ISC aimed to convey a powerful message through the event.
“We want our females to know that we support and value them and will afford them every opportunity to play the sport they love,” said Ebanks.
“We hope that other females on the island who are interested in playing football will be inspired to join us in the future or will find a team of their choice and just play football. We hope to be a positive influence on growing the number of females and teams on island, and we want to show that we are inclusive of all.”
The funds raised from the event are crucial for Scholars ISC, a registered non-profit organisation, Ebanks explained.
“To run the club, we depend on our sponsors, our winnings from the football leagues, and events such as this … to raise the needed funds to cover our costs,” she said.
“We also hope that the community support we receive will help to make our hopes of travel for a few overseas pre-season games a reality in the near future.”
In addition to the highly anticipated women’s match, the day also featured a men’s 7v7 tournament that ran throughout the fair, providing even more football action for attendees.
