Lorna Bell, executive director of Special Olympics Jamaica and widow of former national player and outstanding coach Winthorpe 'Jackie' Bell, has expressed delight at continuing to watch his and companion Dennis Ziadie's legacy unfold as the Bell/Ziadie Memorial competition gears up for its 25th year.

The charity event, which will see National Commercial Bank, through its Visa Classic brand, assume the role of title sponsors for a second straight year is set to kick off at Winchester Park, St George's College on Heroes' Day, Monday, October 17.

"It is clear that these two gentlemen left a rich legacy, a legacy of dedication and love," Bell said at the event's launch, at the Cuddy'z Sports Bar and Restaurant yesterday.

"Look at the Premier League, the ISSA-run competitions, the KSAFA competitions, 90 per cent of the coaches came up under these two gentlemen," Bell added.

Bell and Ziadie perished during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, mortally wounded after a bus in which they were travelling in crashed, following the quarter-final encounter between France and Brazil, in Guadalajara. Since then, Clive 'Busy' Campbell, a colleague of both gentlemen, has, in association with others, sought to honour their memories with the hosting of the competition on an annual basis.

"This is the 25th year of this event that is held to celebrate the life of my heroes ... as long as I am alive, every year I will continue to help to celebrate the life of these two icons, Jackie Bell and Dennis Ziadie," Campbell said.

This year's competition will, however, feature a change of format. Instead of one-off matches, the teams, Master and Celebrities, St George's Invitational, Sponsors Invitational and Entertainers and Media Invitational will play each other in a round-robin format and a champion crowned by an accumulation of points. Each game will last 30 minutes.

This year's tournament will, as usual, honour a few outstanding members of the local football fraternity, they include Herron Dale, a former JFF president, Elvin Schloss, former YMCA and national footballer, Les Wright, former FIFA referee and Carl Chang, a St George's College old boy. Proceeds of this year's event will benefit the Weise Road Basic School in Bull Bay, in accordance with wishes of the late Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor, also a former national player.