150 mill Launched!Digicel Premier League

[Sir X]

Launched!
Digicel Premier League kicks off tomorrowBY HOWARD WALKER Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, September 20, 2008


He might not have the power anymore to declare public holidays, but former prime minister Edward Seaga, now chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), declared yesterday "Sponsorship Day".
Seaga made the statement during the official launch of
the of the Digicel Premier League (DPL) at the offices of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) yesterday.
Chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) Edward Seaga (right), and Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Capt Horace Burrell (centre), point to the huge figure of $150m on the symbolic cheque handed over by Digicel CEO Mark Linehan (left), during the launch of the Digicel Premier League yesterday. Looking on (from 2nd left) are JFF general secretary Horace Reid and deputy managing director of the RJR Group, Gary Allen. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
The start-up of the league was delayed due to board room wranglings between the PLCA and the JFF who could not agree on terms in the initial contract, but both parties have found common ground and the league will kick off tomorrow with a full slate of six matches.
Said Seaga: "Today, will be heralded for a long time as an occasion in which we are taking some large steps and rapid advances. Today in my mind is sponsors day," de declared.
"Clubs, from time to time declare a day for fans where we give little things to those in attendance and on many occasion (they are) allowed free entry. We did some of that last year and it was well-received by the fans. Today, sponsors are here to tell you what they are going to provide," Seaga added.
He continued: "It is our job at the PLCA to see that the sponsors are satisfied. We don't have too much of a problem with the sponsors that are here in the various areas of program-ming today because they are all well known."
Seaga singled out gears provider Jomo, Wata and title sponsor Digicel, the mobile telecumminations giant,
Digicel, which took over the sponsorship from the embattled Cash Plus Limited, handed over their symbolic sponsorship cheque of $150m for three years.
New Digicel CEO, Mark Linehan, pointed out that just
as much as Jamaicans are passionate about football,
his organisation feels the same about sports.
"Jamaicans are passionate about football we at Digicel are passionate about sports. Digicel is very proud today to announce our sponsorship of the Digicel Premier League," he noted.
"We are committed to support football at all levels through schoolboy level to the premier league and at the national level with the Reggae Boyz," Linehan said.
Meanwhile, a new joint venture company - the Premier League Company Limited (PLCL) - was forged between the JFF and the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) to mange the league.
The new entity will be responsible for a wide range of developmental and operational functions including transforming the league to a full professional structure. It will also be responsible for securing sponsorship, broadcast rights and distributing funds to the clubs.
The JFF will stick to the administration, while the PLCA will be responsible for the commercial aspect.
This co-operation between the two bodies came about after lengthy negotiations between over last weekend.
JFF president, Captain Horace Burrell, noted that without a strong club structure, Jamaica's football could stagnate.
"Without a strong club structure, it is very hard to develop your football to a professional level and we are committed as an organisation to see to that.
"I would like to commend Digicel on their vision. Digicel has not only supported football, when you look at cricket and athletic, the support that Digicel give in this country is really commendable and that's why I ask myself what we would have done as a nation if Digicel never came on board. The level of support for sports is highly appreciated," said the JFF boss.
This will be regarded in many years to come the most astute sponsorship made by Digicel since its launch in the Jamaican market place.
The premier league will benefit tremendously from promotional activities generated by Digicel around the games.
The league will kick off tomorrow with a full slate of six games.

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McIntosh: Let's capitalise on Beijing success
Garfield Myers
Saturday, September 20, 2008


MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Arguing that football has real potential as a contributor to the Jamaican economy, head of the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) Technical Committee, Howard McIntosh has urged the football fraternity to draw from the example set by track and field as it moves towards the development of a technical development plan.
Speaking at the Manchester Football Association's Presentation Awards ceremony at the Golf View Hotel
in Mandeville recently, McIntosh said Jamaican football should be spurred by the events at The Beijing Olympics last month.
Jamaican athletes - led by three gold medals from Usain Bolt (100m, 200m and 4X100m relay) in world record time - dominated the track to win an un- precedented six gold medals in Beijing.
"What happened recently in the Olympics is a solid base on which we can build. If we allow what happened at the Olympics to go by and we don't build on it - not only for track and field but also for football and sports in general - then we have really missed a tremendous opportunity," McIntosh said.
An essential part of the development plan, said McIntosh, would be a radical improvement in football coaching in Jamaica, taking it to a level similar to the high standard which he suggested now existed in track and field. The long talked-about coaching school would be part of this process, he said.
"We have to revolutionise our coaching development and our coaching structures. We are going to put in place a system that is very similar to track and field. In track and field, the coaches are able to do a level of identification, a level of preparation that football coaches have not yet developed.
"Part of that will mean that we have to set up a coaching school. The JFF is in the process of doing that now. To try and have a coaching school at GC Foster (College of Sports and Physical Education) so that we c an start to train our coaches in the same way that track and field coaches have been developed ." he said.
Other essential elements of the development plan would have to include an upgrade of the standard and numbers of referees; an improvement of facilities with emphasis on placing a top-level facility in every region that will, among other things, lead to an increase in gate receipts; and a strong focus on youth programmes to lift the standard of football over time.
Citing figures from research work done by sports analyst and journalist Carole Beckford, McIntosh said there were now 200,000 people playing football in Jamaica on a weekly basis and there were 5,000 football teams operating.
Despite the odds and drawback, Jamaica's football had made considerable progress down the years, he said. In 1998 when Jamaica made history by reaching the FIFA World Cup Finals tournament, there were "zero" home-grown Jamaican footballers playing in professional leagues abroad. Today, he said there were more than 50 such players earning a living from football on foreign shores.
To underline the point that football held considerable potential as an economic niche, McIntosh claimed "as a matter of fact" that the "highest paid salaried living Jamaican is a footballer".
It was important, he argued, that sports planners and administrators who are seeking to expand and improve their sport made sure that the ever-growing economic benefits of sporting activity are well understood by all. Sports, he argued, was now a viable alternative career choice for many young Jamaicans - a reality that did not exist just a few years ago.
"It makes no sense to just talk about technical development and not talk about the economic development. Youngsters now have the opportunity to sit back and say "I want to be a footballer, I want to be a track and field athlete, I want to be something else". said McIntosh.
For football, it was incumbent on football administrators even in a context of scarce money and other resources to help the young realise their dreams.

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Specialists call for emphasis on physical education in schools
BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer
Saturday, September 20, 2008


Two leading experts in physical education, speaking at a two-day Jamaica Physical Education Association (JPEA) symposium which ended Thursday at Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, are encouraging a greater emphasis on physical training in Jamaica for the country to maintain its competitive advantage in the world.
Clinical psychologist Dr Valerie Freckleton and elementary education specialist Cynthia Lins made their argument during an interview. Physical education teachers from all over the island attended the symposium that focused on delivering quality physical education and sport at all levels of schools in Jamaica.
Special education teacher Cindy Lins (left) and clinical psychologist Dr Valerie Freckleton exchange views during a physical education symposium at Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Thursday. (Photo: Paul Burrowes)
Dr Freckleton said physical education was part of the "putting together of the child's development... just to send the child to school alone to do the academic subjects is not enough.
"It needs to be stimulated in a way that allows the child's brain to function and take in the academic teaching," she explained.
Trained in pyscho-physiology, industrial psychology/community development and pharmacy, she noted that parents had to attend parent-teacher associations to gain more appreciation for their children's interest in physical education rather than in academics.
"Parents do not come to PTA meetings. They need to be invited to their children's schools and have a speaker come in and do a 10/15 minute talk on the importance of the various things in their child's education.
"Parents need to be involved in the new approach to learning and that is a task because they will not come out," she added.
However, she believes that perceptions in physical education by parents have been changing "because the children themselves are putting pressure on the parents, it's not only to become a doctor or a lawyer or a whatever. This is my gift, my ability and these are things that can be used to bring out the children's hidden ability," she pointed out.
She said those abilities and gifts allowed Usain Bolt to become Olympic champion and world record holder.
Meanwhile Lins, a specialist on children with learning disabilities and special needs, emphasised that physical education was "vital to the education of the whole child. We can't compart-mentalise how we teach children, we have to make it all mesh and integrate together.
"Children come out of the womb moving and that is their primary form of learning for so much of that early life, and taking the sensory stimulation for what they see and hear," she added.
She noted that in the United States, especially in Maryland where she teaches, " we would like to know why Jamaicans are so good in track and field. It is probably their make-up and my students know the names of all the Jamaican athletes who excel on the track".
Lins said the struggle for physical education teachers, especially for those with special needs, to get traction from their governments, schools and parents are universal, and Jamaica was not alone in the fight.
Participants at the physical education symposium examined movement competency and proficiency, knowledge and application of movement concepts, health-enchancing fitness, physically active lifestyle, personal and social behaviour, understanding and respect for individual differences, and personal meaning derived from physical activity.