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May 22, 2009
Following the erroneous and misleading claims by Mr Ansel Smart, Manager of the Rivoli United Football Club, that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was tardy in not securing a visa for player Devon Hodges to travel with the national team for a friendly international in the United States, the JFF feels compelled to set the record straight.
Firstly, the JFF has no jurisdiction over the United States Embassy and cannot dictate to them when to set appointments, who to grant visas to or in plain terms how to conduct their business.
Secondly, it is primarily the responsibility of individuals and clubs to secure passports. The JFF has and will continue to assist in the best possible way in this regard with the tremendous and kind assistance of the Passports and Citizenship Offices. This is standard operating procedure which has been communicated to all parish associations. It is therefore beyond comprehension that a player of obvious national potential, with an eye on representing his country and belonging to a club with similar ambitions for him, would be without a passport or any form of national identification for five years.
Thirdly, it should be noted that it was only after the Rivoli management was advised of the possibility of Mr Hodges being invited to the national squad, was a mad rush made to acquire a passport which was processed speedily.
Fourthly, upon the submission of Mr Hodges’ passport to the JFF on Friday May 8, 2009, the visa fee was purchased the following working day, Monday May 11, 2009, as is the norm. Consistent with the visa application procedure, an appointment with the United States Embassy was sought 24 hours later on Tuesday May 12, 2009. A date was granted for an interview in the first week of June. An appeal was made for an emergency interview and we are still awaiting a response.
It should also be pointed out that two other players submitted their passports to the JFF late and were unable to secure interviews at a time for them to be even considered for the United States trip. In one of those cases, a new passport had to be sought as the current one had just three months to expiration. The US Embassy does issue visas in a passport with under six months remaining.
For the Manager of the Rivoli Football Club Mr Ansel Smart to ascribe blame to the JFF for his club’s shortcomings and gross incompetence in not ensuring that a talented player with such potential and under his watch, is not even the holder of a document as basic as a passport for such a long time (since 2004), is a cheap attempt at blame shifting.
The JFF can confirm that Mr Hodges was the holder of a Jamaican passport when he last represented the country at the Under-15 level in Trinidad and Tobago in 1998.
What this issue has highlighted is the timeliness of the JFF’s Administrative Upgrade Courses for all parishes which begin on Saturday May 30, 2009. These courses are consistent with the mandate coming out of the 2007 Congress to improve all branches of the sport and at all levels. This includes coaching, administration, officiating among others.
It is our belief that while we are not at the point of satisfaction, we are on our way. On our journey we have benefitted from the assistance, facilitation and cooperation of bodies, particularly the United States Embassy. To them we express our gratitude as we march forward for the good of the game.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Following the erroneous and misleading claims by Mr Ansel Smart, Manager of the Rivoli United Football Club, that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was tardy in not securing a visa for player Devon Hodges to travel with the national team for a friendly international in the United States, the JFF feels compelled to set the record straight.
Firstly, the JFF has no jurisdiction over the United States Embassy and cannot dictate to them when to set appointments, who to grant visas to or in plain terms how to conduct their business.
Secondly, it is primarily the responsibility of individuals and clubs to secure passports. The JFF has and will continue to assist in the best possible way in this regard with the tremendous and kind assistance of the Passports and Citizenship Offices. This is standard operating procedure which has been communicated to all parish associations. It is therefore beyond comprehension that a player of obvious national potential, with an eye on representing his country and belonging to a club with similar ambitions for him, would be without a passport or any form of national identification for five years.
Thirdly, it should be noted that it was only after the Rivoli management was advised of the possibility of Mr Hodges being invited to the national squad, was a mad rush made to acquire a passport which was processed speedily.
Fourthly, upon the submission of Mr Hodges’ passport to the JFF on Friday May 8, 2009, the visa fee was purchased the following working day, Monday May 11, 2009, as is the norm. Consistent with the visa application procedure, an appointment with the United States Embassy was sought 24 hours later on Tuesday May 12, 2009. A date was granted for an interview in the first week of June. An appeal was made for an emergency interview and we are still awaiting a response.
It should also be pointed out that two other players submitted their passports to the JFF late and were unable to secure interviews at a time for them to be even considered for the United States trip. In one of those cases, a new passport had to be sought as the current one had just three months to expiration. The US Embassy does issue visas in a passport with under six months remaining.
For the Manager of the Rivoli Football Club Mr Ansel Smart to ascribe blame to the JFF for his club’s shortcomings and gross incompetence in not ensuring that a talented player with such potential and under his watch, is not even the holder of a document as basic as a passport for such a long time (since 2004), is a cheap attempt at blame shifting.
The JFF can confirm that Mr Hodges was the holder of a Jamaican passport when he last represented the country at the Under-15 level in Trinidad and Tobago in 1998.
What this issue has highlighted is the timeliness of the JFF’s Administrative Upgrade Courses for all parishes which begin on Saturday May 30, 2009. These courses are consistent with the mandate coming out of the 2007 Congress to improve all branches of the sport and at all levels. This includes coaching, administration, officiating among others.
It is our belief that while we are not at the point of satisfaction, we are on our way. On our journey we have benefitted from the assistance, facilitation and cooperation of bodies, particularly the United States Embassy. To them we express our gratitude as we march forward for the good of the game.
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