KALIKABUZA

Chapter 61

'The big day has finally arrived. The last day, Day 12, of the Kalikabuza Tournament.'

'Feels like it was just yesterday when the gates of the park opened for the campers, doesn't it, Wer? Now, here we are today, with thirty-two teams all competing to be crowned the first Kalikabuza Champions! That'll be the most spicysh moment of the camp!'

'Yes, indeed, Amy.'

'I'm also very happy with all the listeners who have tuned in to Kabuza 92.0 for these last couple of weeks. You guys have made the tournament more exciting! Sincere thanks to all our listeners. Now, Wer, what are the rules for today's game?'

'Right, Amy. Today is capture-the-flag. Each of the soccer fields will host eight teams, so all thirty-two teams will play simultaneously. Each team will have ten flags in their base to protect. The purpose of the game is to steal as many flags from other teams as possible, without losing your own flags, and without getting captured. A capture is when you are tapped on the back or shoulder by an opponent, while outside your base. Once captured, a player is taken to the opponent's base, and can only be rescued if a teammate reaches them and taps them. A team whose entire roster is captured loses automatically. As for flags, you can steal back your flags, but a single player can't both take back their own flag and steal an opponent's flag—it has to be one or the other. And that's that, Amy. Pretty straightforward: steal flags; don't get captured.'

'Spicysh! Sounds like quite a challenge. And each game is thirty minutes, correct?'

'That's right, Amy. After the first game, four teams will move on from each field. Then, in the next game, two will move on from each field for the final.'

'But how would two teams pass if they were to steal the same amount of flags?'

'Easy, Amy: the tie-breaker is in which of those two teams has the most remaining flags; and if there's a tie there too, then it goes to which team has the most uncaptured players.'

'Oh, spicysh! Good stuff. So, Wer, what does our buddy, Rick Lopez, say about how many teams today have a chance of winning the Kalikabuza Tournament?'

'Why don't we ask him personally? Mr. Lopez, you're on the line: how are you?'

'Hello Wer, hello Amy, hello listeners! Thanks for the call—I feel famous!'

'I want your autograph! So Rick, give us the juicy stuff: which teams have a chance of winning the overall Tournament today?'

'Well, I spent all night crunching numbers. I woke up in my office here by Dynamo Dome, with my face on my spreadsheet. Now before I tell you which teams have a chance, let me tell you how things will work today: the winners of each field in the first game will win 20 points. Then, the winners of each field in the second game will win 30 points. And the winner of the final game will win 150 points; second place will take 50; 40 for third; and 30 for fourth. So, the overall winner of the capture-the-flag tournament will win, in total, 200 points. There are no bonus points for early morning, uniform or team cheers. Instead, there will be a big 50-point-bonus for the team that steals the most flags. That favors teams that make it to the final game, but it's possible that a team eliminated earlier can claim it. Now, to bring you the... juicy stuff: with the current points-table, there are only seven teams who are mathematically eligible to win the Kalikabuza Tournament today! Drum roll please... These are the current top-seven: Getafe, Combo 32, Swag, Hot rods, Latte, Royals and L.O.L.'

'Ah, there you have it guys! An epic seven-team battle for the win!'

'That's correct, Amy. However, I said these are the mathematically eligible candidates. But statistically, the teams most likely to win are the top-three. Latte, which is 5th, is 185 points away from Getafe in 1st. So for Latte, Royals and L.O.L to win it today, they would need to take 1st place in capture-the-flag, and hope that the top-three are eliminated in the first round. Unlikely... however, not impossible.'