Denzil Wilks | Reggae Girlz deserve better

The Reggae Girlz are worthy of much congratulations on their double victory over counterparts South Africa in the recent contest in Montego Bay, St James. While Jamaica is ranked higher than South Africa internationally and reports suggest that South Africa did not have their strongest team on the day due to injuries, the Girlz did what was asked of them.

With the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) using the opportunity to launch their You Tube channel, it can be said that it was a double celebration. This seems to have been the medium on which most persons were able to access the match and this is commendable.

There is another consideration, however, as the YouTube channel was the only medium via which the match could be viewed in Jamaica. By comparison, the records will show that matches played by the Reggae Boyz are usually accessible either on a cable station or a “free to air” carrier. It can be suggested that the Reggae Girlz are not receiving equal treatment by the National Federation, in spite of their high-quality performances. Their making it to the second round of the 2024 World Cup, their two successive journeys to the senior World Cup and the general tenacity displayed over many years of challenging circumstances, serves as justification for ensuring that there is no semblance of slighting.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved decisively, that social media coverage in Jamaica is not even close to where it may have been presumed. Our primary and secondary education systems are yet to recover from the debacle of online learning, with possibly upwards of 30 per cent of the population being disenfranchised and effectively cheated by our national incapacity to establish online services that can genuinely serve the full populace. This suggests that the country may not yet be ready for using social media alone as the medium for transmitting matches. The question that arises, is whether the leadership of the JFF took these matters into consideration.

CHERISHED AND NURTURED

With Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw rated by The Guardian as the fourth best footballer in the world, there is every indication that Jamaica has a product to be cherished, nurtured and promoted to the benefit of the nation. There should be a conscious effort to provide and exploit all opportunities for the full showcasing of this product.

The failure of the JFF to have this tournament broadcast in Jamaica on both free to air and cable television could be seen as a case of disrespect for our highest football achievers and a level of myopia that requires corrective surgery. The fact that the event passed without much comment could cause some to conclude that this is evidence that it is not of great importance.

This brings to the fore the matter of how sport is treated in the national context. It could be suggested that the JFF is a microcosm of the wider society and that it has not as yet been accepted that women football is worthy of consistently high exposure. It is hoped that the imbroglio between the JFF and a significant portion of the Reggae Girlz, which resulted in a number of them not being allowed to represent Jamaica for a period of time, is not cause for this apparent slighting. During that dispute not many spoke out in support of the Girlz.

There can be little doubt that the weight of words bears a direct and significant correlation with those from whom they emanate. It behoves those who are aware of the weight of their words to begin to speak unabashedly. There is a need for the weight to be applied to national sporting associations, in order that they can desist from operating without appropriate accountability.

MOST UNFORTUNATE

The failure of the JFF to ensure a much more robust broadcast of the series against South Africa is most unfortunate, and could be said to be symptomatic of a much deeper problem. Female football in Jamaica has never been provided with its due. The female Premier League of the recent years, has been, by definition, a misnomer. Premier cannot simply mean the highest in the country. There must be standards to be met before one can call something premier.

The urgent need for a strong local programme for female football is palpable. The practice of recruiting players from overseas to represent Jamaica is unsustainable. No country has successfully implemented such a programme. It follows that a strong local programme needs to be built if the country is to be consistent with high performance levels.

It would seem that there is an urgent need for the sporting fraternity to establish an independent advocacy group, which will seek to hold those with the reins of power accountable. The 2024 JFF elections needs to be studied in retrospect. In circumstances where incumbents are contesting for continued leadership of an organization, it is inimical to democracy, for the same persons to continue to be in charge of electoral matters. In such instances there is little recourse as federations are only accountable to their governing body. The government of the day is constrained to intervene, as international sporting bodies tend to frown on any interference in the operations of sporting bodies, as this can lead to sanctions against the country.

It may be time for the University of the West Indies (UWI) to engage in some research in an effort to bring about resolution to these matter in the best interest of the nation and sports in particular.

Denzil Wilks is the manager, athletic development and training and adjunct lecturer at the Mona Academy of Sport, UWI. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com