Soccer: Trinidad players get 'barrels of rum' incentive

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Trinidad and Tobago's 23 footballers and their Dutch coach, Leo Beenhakker, have each been promised a barrel of specially aged rum if they win tomorrow morning's World Cup match against England.

Nigel Bissoon, marketing manager of the Angostura Group of Companies, the makers of Angostura Aromatic Bitters, said the players were already heroes in their Caribbean country after their 0-0 draw against Sweden last week.

"But they can elevate themselves to a god-like status amongst their fans if they get one over England," Bissoon said in a statement today.

"We hope that the barrel bonus will act as an extra incentive for the players as there are few Trinidadians who would not jump at the opportunity to own a full barrel of such fine rum."

Each of the 24 barrels Angostura is offering as a prize holds 247 liters of rum.

Angostura's chief executive, Lawrence Duprey, said the rum would come from a batch that had been earmarked for a special occasion.

Trinidad and Tobago is the smallest country to qualify for the soccer World Cup.

- REUTERS