Digicel underwrites U-17 camp in Mexico

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's Under-17 footballers yesterday received a significant boost to their preparations for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be held in Mexico from June 18 to July 10.

Telecommunication giants Digicel committed sponsorship support to the tune of US$50,000, which will go towards staging a seven-day camp in Mexico for the youngsters leading up to youth football's biggest tournament.

The camp, which will be based in Toluca, Mexico, will run from the June 7-14 during which the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), with the assistance of the Mexican Federation, is hoping to secure two practice games.

President of the JFF, Captain Horace Burrell, was very pleased with the timely intervention of Digicel.

"Today, we are indeed quite pleased with Digicel's assistance towards the Under-17 programme," Burrell stated during a press conference held yesterday at the JFF headquarters in New Kingston. "Digicel's contribution is very timely and very well received," he added.

additional support

Burrell was, however, quick to point out that additional support is still needed.

"There is still a shortfall of US$43,000 in funding for preparation and participation in the World Cup."

He is hoping that the Government, which he criticised for its level of support for the Under-17 team so far, will come on board.

"I must again express the federation's profound disappointment with the lack of support from the minister of sports towards these young Reggae Boyz," Burrell said.

"In the past, through all previous qualifications ... we received support from the ministers of sports, whoever was the minister of sports during those times. To date, we have not received a red cent towards preparations of these young Reggae Boyz, who did our country proud when we qualified in Montego Bay in February," he added.

Digicel Jamaica's sports sponsorship mana-ger, Paula Pinnock-MacLeod, congratulated the Boyz for their achievement, while noting the importance of the camp.

"We are 100 per cent supportive of the training camp and we understand why they have to be at the training camp, as it is going to give them that additional confidence and boost that they need," Pinnock-MacLeod said. "We are excited to be on board and we wish them all the best," she added.

significant role

In addition to the cash sponsorship, all the Boyz will be given travelling bags, and a BlackBerry has been made available to the team with full service, so they can keep in touch with home.

National Under-17 coach Wendell Downswell believes the camp will go a far way in preparing the team.

"It will play a significant role in terms of our preparations going forward," Downswell said. "The fact that we will be there seven days before (the start of the World Cup), we will get ourselves somewhat acclimatised.

"Plus, the opposition that we will be up against (in the practice games) will be somewhat similar to the teams that we will be playing, especially the first two teams, Japan and Argentina," he added.

Jamaica young Boyz have been drawn in Group B for the tournament alongside Argentina, France and Japan.