JFF delighted at hosting FIFA seminar

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) General Secretary Horace Reid says his federation is looking forward to a successful hosting of the second FIFA Win In CONCACAF With CONCACAF (WICWC) seminar, which will be held at the Breezes Rio Bueno Resort and Spa, Trelawny, today and tomorrow.

The seminar, which is being funded by FIFA and is designed to raise the standard of football development and administration in the region, will see 30 delegates from 14 of the region's member associations and nine FIFA and CONCACAF development officials taking part.

"First of all, we are delighted that Jamaica was chosen to host this event," said Reid, who is also chief executive of the event.

"Every year, FIFA conducts a review of its development programmes, and this year, because of Jamaica's success rate at implementing the FIFA programmes and initiatives, we were chosen.

"The seminar is a very important plank in FIFA's thrust to raise the standard of the game in developing countries, especially at the club and youth levels, and to bring it to as close as possible to what happens in developed countries.

"We are, therefore, excited about hosting the event and look forward to it being a successful one for all," he added.

Developmental initiative

The WICWC was established by FIFA in 2009 following the success of the Win In Africa Programme. It represents a developmental initiative funded by FIFA, targeting three areas: national league development, youth development, and sports education.

At the seminar, all the benefiting member associations will be asked to give detailed reports on the initiatives they have taken under the project, the challenges faced, and their plans in the three areas for 2011.

FIFA's delegation will also hold bilateral meetings with each member association regarding their Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF programme, and plans for 2011.

Jamaica has so far benefited from WICWC funding in the areas of coaching education, parish and national league club administrator courses, and youth-development clinics.

The seminar, which, last year, was held at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, will be led by FIFA's head of education and technical division, Jurg Nepfer.

FIFA and CONCACAF's delegations include, in addition to Nepfer, Gregory Engelbrecht - manager of the Americas, FIFA; Ted Howard - deputy general secretary, CONCACAF; Daryll Warner - FIFA development officer for the region; Rodrigo Kenton - WICWC manager; Keith Lookloy - WICWC regional manager; and Richard Howard - WICWC manager.

The countries down to participate are Aruba, Netherland Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, The Bahamas, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, The British Virgin Islands, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Jamaica.

- Jermaine Lannaman