For the love of the game – Wilks

DURING HIS term as Sports Development Foundation (SDF) general manager, Denzil Wilks had always expressed concerns about the country’s football, while being critical of the Michael Ricketts-led Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and its operational procedures.

Wilks, now the manager of athletic development and training at The University of the West Indies (UWI), has joined the campaign team of challenger for the JFF presidency, Raymond Anderson.

He explained that he is supporting Anderson in a bid to stem the underdevelopment he has seen in the game locally, and administrative inefficiencies of the federation.

“I have joined the campaign team because of my love for the game, in addition to watching the underdevelopment of the game for decades.

“From the [19]60s I’ve seen some extremely talented footballers and, throughout it all, we have managed to get to just one (men’s) World Cup,” said Wilks.

He noted similarities between Jamaica and Caribbean neighbour, Haiti, the first team from the region to qualify for the World Cup. Despite an abundance of talent in Haiti, the French-speaking country is yet to make its way back to the world stage, and Wilks warns that Jamaica is headed down a similar path.

“We have been to the senior World Cup once and, when that was happening, the approach was to build from the top with the hope it would galvanise things, but we were warned.

“Hopefully we do not end up like Haiti. As far as the senior (men’s) World Cup goes, since ’98, we have not been back,” said Wilks.

The string of administrative blunders that has marred the Ricketts administration is another reason Wilks believes there is a need for change, arguing that what happens on the field is largely affected by what takes place in the boardroom.

“We have watched blunder after blunder in regard to some basic administrative work, and we are now at this stage where FIFA has brought in a consultant to see if they [JFF] can get things right.

“We may well be on the brink of going down the road where Trinidad had to go, where FIFA took over the running of that federation,” said Wilks.

“So my getting involved has to do with preventing that from happening, by showing that there are persons who have the capacity, integrity and the drive to ensure that the football achieves.

“The women have gone to back-to-back World Cups and, because of my closeness with what has been happening, I am aware that very little of that achievement has to do with any skills within the administration. It had nothing to do with the administrative capability of the JFF and, on that basis, I have offered myself.”

Anderson’s campaign team includes other high-profile personalities such as sports marketer and journalist, Carole Beckford; Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) president, Mark Bennett; and sports administrator and lawyer, Jackie Cummings.

It has also been reported that former Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron is a part of the 20-odd member group from which Anderson will select his slate.

“It is up to the leader, Raymond, and the team to determine how he distributes us. But I think the persons sitting around the table are a good mix. We have a fine balance in winning an election and having the right team,” he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com