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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 11 2002 : 5:18:56 PM
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THE JFF SPEAKS ON SURVIVAL ETC.
The sporting fraternity is embroiled in a serious debate since last Thursday on the future of the National Football Programme. Interestingly, this debate follows on the heels of a sensational FIFA World Cup, held for the first time in Asia. A World Cup that has sent a significant signal to the football community of the world that the minnows in the sport are catching up, closing the gap, and are willing to be a serious part of this great passion in the business of football.
The ensuing debate naturally invites questions, innuendoes, suggestions, accusations, anger, cynicism, sarcasm, ridicule and pain. Some of the contending questions are: Where have all the monies gone? How prudent was the JFF in its expenditure? Did we receive value for money? Are there audited financial statements?
It is evident, the world over, that men and women who are public figures attract extraordinary scrutiny. Therefore a public figure has to be responsible, honest and forthright with his or her obligations, and chief of all must be held accountable. Despite personal attacks on the credibility of the heads of the JFF, these are deep-rooted principles held and are being practiced by the powers that be at the JFF.
At a Press Conference held at the JFF’s office last November (2001) audited financials prepared by KPMG Peat Marwick were presented to the Press. We satisfactorily fielded all the questions that came from the press regarding the financials. Our responsiveness was the same for the questions that came in the ensuing days on the release. The JFF was lauded by the Media for its presentation and stewardship of its finances. At the time, the JFF circulated copies of its audits to all its main sponsors including the Sports Development Foundation, Grace Kennedy, American Airlines, Cable & Wireless, City of Kingston Credit Union, Dehring Bunting and Golding. This has been the practice since 1996. We are not aware of this being the practice among other sporting organizations in Jamaica. However, we have come to appreciate that no one will tell our story, so it is ours to tell.
The JFF is responsible for the development of football island-wide; from a central administration it operates the national programme comprising Senior Men`s, U23, U20, U17, U15, Senior Women`s and U19 Women`s. Six national competitions are administrated by the JFF: Premier League, Jamaica National Federation Cup Knock Out, U21, U15, U13 and Women`s Premier League. The JFF organizes training island-wide for coaches, administrators, first aid practitioners, referees among others. The regional development takes place through the 13 parish associations and four confederations.
In recent times during a World Cup qualifying period, the annual budget for the JFF is approx. $250 million (US$5 million). In a non-World Cup qualifying period, our budget is approx. $135 million (US$3 million). This is indeed a lot of money for persons who are unfamiliar with the cost of preparing teams to compete on the World Stage. We are challenging the media or any other interested person, to research and investigate what it is costing other Federations, in the region, to run their football programmes annually. The research will reveal that countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Trinidad &Tobago exceed the annual costs of the JFF. The budget of Mexico and the USA dwarfs that of all the other Federations in CONCACAF .
It is amazing how money causes us to lose our rationality and our balance in judgment. Regardless how often we explain or account for our stewardship during the past years, there are those who will remain blindfolded. Money has this kind of effect on some.
I share this story: A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.
With an audience of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well,” he replied, “what if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoes. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it? Still the hands went into the air. He remarked, “my friends, no matter what I did with the money you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value.”
No Matter what explanations the JFF presents for the US$2.1 million it received for participating in the France 98 World Cup, there are those who believe they could have spent it better and it would never be finished.
Interestingly, everyone expects and demands positive results every time a Jamaican or a Jamaican team represents this country. Jamaica has had so much unprecedented success on the world stage at track and field, netball, football, among other sports, to the point where we are not prepared to accept anything less than the best. However valid, excuses are not acceptable. It does not seem to matter if our athletes are underprepared due to the lack of resources. We critique their performances, or lack thereof, in a similar manner in which we critique the fortunate sportsmen and women who have had all the requisite resources. This is food for thought.
We have been less than objective. Let us be honest here. When the Reggae Boyz got a whipping from the USA recently, how many of us saw that as part of the learning curve for the “Boyz”? Was there an objective thinking that the opponents have superior resources? That they are advanced in their preparation? Given the USA’s competitive
advantage, does that mean we are not to play teams of that level? Of course not! What yardstick would everyone agree with in measuring the player’s success? Results of course! But in the developmental process a few beatings and defeats can only serve well in propelling the players and all concerned in achieving the desired results.
What is critical, but seem to be taken lightly by many, is the fact that September 2001 was the last positive revenue game for the Federation. The JFF lost money from the World Cup qualifier versus Costa Rica in November 2001. Thousands jumped ship after we failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. Due to the closure of the National Stadium immediately after, we have not been able to stage international games and earn much needed gate receipts in the process. Gate receipts account for more than 50% of the income to finance the budget. Another heavy financial blow to the JFF was the 65% reduction of the subvention from the SDF in January of 2002. But prior to SDF’s action, some supporting companies abandoned the Reggae Boyz when it became clear that Japan/Korea 2002 would not be a reality.
It should be noted that careful planning and prudency are the contributing factors for the JFF to have been able to continue its operations for the last nine months, despite the many dislocations.
The Jamaica Football Federation has repeatedly, in public, praise the Government and indeed the Prime Minister the Rt. Hon P. J. Patterson, for the support given to football particularly since 1994. We will continue to express these sentiments, not because of public relations gimmicks, but because they are true.
What the JFF is lobbying for is a restoration of the subvention (through the two lottery companies), which was announced in Parliament in April 2002 by the Hon Prime Minister. We are not asking for money that is non-existent. It is the JFF’s understanding that the money is sitting in an account while the sporting programmes are been stifled and destroyed. Athletes, hockey players, netballers, football teams to name a few, cannot and will never fully understand nor appreciate the bureaucracy interfering in their progress and success. When did Noah build the Ark? Before the rains came!
In football, Jamaica has qualified three teams at World Championships since 1997. Namely, the “Reggae Boyz” in their debut in France, 1998; the U17 in New Zealand, 1999; and U20 in Argentina, 2001. We are the smallest nation in the world with this achievement in football.
Only weeks ago we proudly witnessed our own Peter Prendergast officiating at the FIFA World Cup Japan/Korea and before that, the Olympics in Australia. In the 1998 World Cup in France, we witnessed our own Assistant FIFA Referee Owen Powell officiating with distinction as well. These are world-class achievements worthy of the highest commendations.
According to Oprah Winfrey, American broadcaster and actress, “The more you praise and celebrate in life, the more there is to celebrate.”
Captain Burrell will be etched in Jamaica’s sports history as one of the greatest sports administrators produced by this country. You only need to travel the corridors of World Football to appreciate the respect the tiny Jamaica enjoys. This is so because of the tremendous presence and enormous attention that Captain Burrell commands on the World stage.
The past few weeks have been more than a revelation for me at the FIFA Congress in Seoul. I was a proud Jamaican among the hundreds of delegates representing 203 countries around the world. Our own Captain Burrell had the distinction of being the first of few selected delegates to have addressed the Congress from the FIFA Podium. It was his presentation that set the stage and swung the balance for the incumbent President, Sepp Blatter. It was a remarkable presentation. I am proud of you Captain Burrell.
I must praise also Clayton Solomon, that genius of an administrator from the Institute of Sports who was recently appointed by FIFA as one of its Referee Instructors on its World Panel. This is another excellent achievement by a Jamaican, in the corridors of power in world sports. These appointments will positively enhance the image of our country to the rest of the world.
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The JFF currently has four teams in training. The Senior Men`s are preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup Eliminations to be staged in Trinidad & Tobago in November 2002, the U20 for their qualification tournament in August 2002 for the World U20 Championship to be staged in the United Arab Emirates 2003; the U17 for their qualification tournament in October for the World U17 Championship in Helsinki 2003 and the Senior Women`s qualification for the Women`s Gold cup to be staged in Canada and the USA in October 2002 and the 2003 Women`s World Cup.
Later this year the Men`s Olympic team are to commence preparation along with their female counterparts for the Central America and Caribbean Games in El Salvador and the qualifying competition for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Why so many teams, why so many competitions? Are they necessary? Good questions. The answer is quite simple. If Jamaica’s football is to be developed competitively for the world stage, then a solid, consistent and systematic foundation is required. This can only be achieved through frequent exposure. “The tree cannot stand without its roots.”
Again the JFF is challenging the media to research and chart the development of the majority of the players who participated in this year’s FIFA World Cup. In the case of Jamaica this is even more imperative given the absence of a strong professional league, inspite of our recent improvements. We believe a little more knowledge and fewer emotions would make a much better debate.
Are there any economic benefits from football? Indeed many. After the 1998 World Cup campaign, Jamaica exported home-grown talents to the professional leagues in the United Kingdom, France and the USA. They are:
United Kingdom: Ricardo Gardner, Theodore Whitmore, Ian Goodison, Jermaine Johnson, Walter Boyd, Onandi Lowe, Ricardo Fuller.
France: Keith Kelly.
USA: Andy Williams, Gregory Messam, Fabian Davis, Patrick Beech, Christopher Dawes, Onandi Lowe, Kevin Wilson, Linval Dixon, Winston Griffiths and before 1998 – Wolde Harris, Jeff Cunningham, William Wilson among others.
Following are two of the many tangible benefits that Jamaica has realized from football:
1. Foreign exchange inflows due to players’ transfer fees in excess of $160 million.
2. Foreign exchange inflows of millions of dollars from overseas remittances from players’ personal earnings. Some players are now earning in excess of $20 million per annum.
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Are there economic benefits from local football? This is without doubt.
Hundreds of youngsters are earning a livelihood through football. Again the JFF challenges the Press to research and present to the public the facts, including the Premier League. Commerce from football is cyclical in nature when one considers the purveyors of services such as transportation, private security companies, public address
system providers, sports medicine practitioners, catering companies, hotels, guest houses, sports goods manufacturers and distributors and even the small vendors who
relish the opportunity to sell their products at the games on Sundays through Saturdays when hundreds of games are played all over the country. Purveyors rely on these
economic activities to send their children to school, pay the rent/mortgage, water, telephone and electricity bills. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE COUNTRY WITHOUT FOOTBALL?
There is an unshakeable confidence that sports in general, and football in particular, has generated economic benefits to Jamaica in a significant and tangible way. We cannot stop now - the consequences are too severe to contemplate.
Besides economic benefits, it is hardly debatable that football, like all other sports, unifies and breaks down all political and social class barriers. Every colour, class and creed turns out to cheer for his or her favourite player/team, which will be the situation when the IAAF World Junior Championship kicks off on July 16, 2002.
We commend all persons involved in the process of sports administration and in particular, use this opportunity to wish for the JAAA, the LOC and Jamaica a successful World Junior Championship at the National Stadium, July 16-21, 2002.
The Jamaica Football Federation encourages all its fans to full the stadium in a similar manner like when the Reggae Boyz “don” their colours for the office.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
The road to success is not straight; there is a curve called failure; a loop called confusion; speed bumps called friends; red lights called enemies; caution lights called jobs.
But, if you have a spare called determination; an engine called perseverance; insurance called faith, and a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called SUCCESS.
Karl |
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THE JFF SPEAKS ON SURVIVAL ETC.
