Ricketts: Good times are ahead
JFF boss hopes new sponsors will come on board for Women’s World Cup after trophy tour
Published:Tuesday | April 18, 2023 | 1:00 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Facing what he calls an uphill battle to meet their financial requirements for the 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts says that he hopes the World Cup trophy coming to Jamaica will influence more sponsors to come on board.
Ricketts was speaking yesterday as the trophy made its way across select parishes as part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy tour. The trophy made its way across from Kingston to St Jago High in St Catherine, Ocho Rios High School in St Ann and finished in Montego Bay during its 24-hour stay.
With three months to go before the start of the tournament, the JFF got an injection of financial support as Sports Minister Olivia Grange pledged monthly stipends to the Reggae Girlz valued at $20 million towards their nutrition and training requirements to assist in their preparations for the tournament. The stipends are scheduled to start at the end of the month.
Ricketts said that the $20 million will go a long way into meeting the over $100-million budget required to fund the endeavour.
“It will certainly help. We do have a far way to go and I am sure that she (Grange) would have unofficially committed to giving us more support. We are just looking forward. It is going to be a struggle but we are up for the fight. We are very optimistic,” Ricketts said. “We have been getting some new sponsors on board. Certainly, by the time July 20 comes around, we should be in a better position. But as it is now, we are trying desperately to get sponsors on board. So far it has been working.”
Jamaica are guaranteed a set amount of funds from FIFA to help in their preparation from FIFA, as part of the US$152 million prize pool package that was agreed on in March, which not only covers prize money but team preparation.
Ricketts says that with the trophy touring the island, he hopes it will further inspire more partners from corporate Jamaica to come on board with Cedella Marley’s continued support of the programme as well as the new kit deal with Adidas.
“We are just excited at the prospect because things are looking up. Cedella (Marley) has been very good to us. Minister Grange has given us a lot of support. Good times are ahead and we are very optimistic,” Ricketts said.
The road to Australia and New Zealand has not been without difficulty as their recent training camp in England was hampered by visa issues with left them six players short as well as the absence of some of the backroom staff. National senior women’s head coach Lorne Donaldson said that with government assistance and a renewed understanding with the JFF, he hopes it will provide them with the best platform to perform in July.
“Hopefully, with the Government promising to step in and with JFF and Cedella Marley, we can all get on the same page and it can be some smooth sailing going forward. Because we will need it even to stand a chance to do anything good,” Donaldson said.