Ministry moves to regulate

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

The Sports Development Foundation (SDF), acting on orders from the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Olivia Grange, will be seeking to implement standards by which goalposts are designed, constructed and installed across Jamaica.

The initiative comes on the heels of a fatality which occurred on the compounds of Sts Peter and Paul Prep on Thursday.

A freak goalpost incident accounted for the life of nine-year-old Jeremiah Yson Jr.

The grade-four student was among other children on the school's playing field close to the end of their lunch break, when it is reported that a heavy gust of wind toppled a football goalpost, which fell on him. The goalpost appeared to have been one of two that were tied together by a tarpaulin, which was caught by the wind.

The tragedy occurred just over two months after seven-year-old Nicholas Hamilton was killed, when a goalpost at Coke View Primary School in Westmoreland fell on him. In that incident, the goalpost reportedly fell on the little boy while it was being lifted by other students during a lunchtime play session.

GRIEF

Grange, through her office, sent out a release conveying her grief on the evening of Yson's death.

"This is very sad news and my heart goes out to the family. I want them to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers," Grange expressed. "This is the second such incident to occur since the start of the year and I am very concerned."

The release went on to outline the instructions that have been given to the SDF.

"Today (Thursday), I asked the Sports Development Foundation to do an investigation and to recommend new standards for the design, construction and installation of goalposts in Jamaica. The SDF has expertise in sports infrastructure development and will be able to recommend standards that addresses our safety concerns relating to sports infrastructure and equipment.

"We will share the findings and recommendations with schools, clubs and community centres so that these tragic incidents do not recur."

In an immediate response to the minister's request, the chairman of the SDF, David Mais, said a technical team, involving SDF staff, the Institute of Sports and the Social Development Commission, would meet next week to prepare an action plan to address the minister's concerns.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) added its voice to the cries of anguish for Yson Jr, stating that it was especially saddened over this incident, because it happened while children were at play enjoying football.

President of the JFF, Captain Horace Burrell, empathised with the members of Yson's family and encouraged "all stakeholders in football to ensure that the infrastructure at their institutions is safe for all and that there is no recurrence of this truly sad incident".