December 14, 2006 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Presentation of President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Mr. Crenston Boxhill to the Press Conference to formally introduce the new Technical Director of Jamaica’s Football Programme, held December 14, 2006, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

The Jamaica Football Federation has signed a four year contract with Mr. Velibor ‘Bora’ Milutinovic to be the Technical Director for the national football programme for the country.

The contract was effective on November 16, 2006.

Since his appointment the Technical Director has visited games at the national and local levels of the sport including Premier League, Super League and the school level.  He has also performed international duties. 

I am sure the Technical Director will elaborate on his activities and observations when he speaks. 

The Federation is extremely pleased with this appointment and considers it of fundamental and strategic importance to the development of the game in Jamaica. 

We are first of all pleased because of the incomparable international experience, knowledge, technical expertise and accomplishments that Mr. Milutinovic brings to this new assignment.

His accomplishments have been well exposed through the media. In particular, we note the advantage of his knowledge of the CONCACAF region, its players, its coaches, and the strengths and weaknesses of the teams. He is also known to be a high disciplinarian, demanding and generating maximum output from those who he works with.

As we have already experienced, he has a warm engaging personality that can generate necessary response and respect.

We are secondly very pleased with the appointment because of important components to the agreement. In particular we are happy that the Technical Director has agreed to work very closely in the initial two years with our local coaches. We wish again to note that his willingness to do this was highly influential in the Federation’s decision to hire Coach Milutinovic. 

Hence for the initial period there will be no additional cost to the Federation for support staff for the Technical Director. 

Jamaican football lovers will immediately appreciate the value of this component to the long term development of the game in Jamaica.

It means that critical technical skills and experience will be passed on to our local technical staff in a more structured way than probably ever before.

It is more than appropriate I think to use this occasion on behalf of the Federation to thank Jamaica’s local coaches at all levels for the years and years of service to the development of the sport in Jamaica.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not the easiest of jobs in Jamaica. The limited resources available to match the incredible natural talent in need of development have meant that many times our local coaches perform their duties without the requisite returns. The uneven and inadequate state of our infrastructure makes the job even more challenging. Yet our coaches have persevered and have played a major role in developing the talent that the Technical Director will have at his disposal to carry to a new and higher level.

In this context I hope you will allow me to pay special tribute to our most recent interim coach, Mr Carl Brown.    Carl, at a time when the programme needed experienced direction responded to the request of the Federation and guided the senior team over the last three months. 

 It certainly was not the first and I have the strange and pleasant feeling it would not have been the last time that Carl would have given of his experience in the interest of the national football programme. At all times he has given of his best.

I would also like to recognise former national coach Wendell Downswell who guided the Senior team again during a difficult period, that is, immediately following Jamaica’s elimination from the 2006 World Cup campaign.

In that period Jamaica won the 2005 Digicel Caribbean Cup and became the only Caribbean nation to qualify for the 2007 Pan Am games. Again coach Downswell I would hope will have a role to play in our football development in the future. 

In fact, Ladies and Gentlemen, through the efforts of our local coaching cadre, at all levels, Jamaica has qualified for the final stages of all youth tournaments….and I wish to stress of both gender, for the very first time.  

Jamaica has qualified for the final stages of World Cup Qualification for the Under 20’s; the Under 17’s; the Under 20’s women’s team and the Senior Women’s teams. 

For the very first time the country will be represented at the Pan-Am Games by both the men’s and women’s teams.

I would go as far as to say that true to our philosophy the last three years have seen the greatest consistent encouragement to our young players than in the recent past.

I want to use this opportunity to encourage all the local coaches who will be exposed to the guidance of Technical Director Milutinovic to take the fullest advantage of the relationship.

 I expect you to express your views on the Jamaican experience, at the same time that you learn from what is amongst the best of international and regional expertise.

One of the very early meetings to be held by coach Bora will be with as many of our local coaches as possible. (This will be tomorrow, the fifteenth of December). The coach through a process to be decided by himself and the Federation will select his local support staff.

Technical Director Milutinovic will have primary responsibility for the preparation of the National Senior team for Jamaica’s preparation for qualification for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. 

In addition and I stress he will give overall guidance to the varying units of the national programme, some of which are in the final preparation stages of World Cup qualification.  

On its part the Federation is making all efforts to ensure that our youth teams, the Under 17 and Under 20 teams, and the senior women are given the necessary support to maximise their possibilities for World Cup and tournament contention. 

For the Under 20 and Under 17 squads, we are presently comprising support groups. These groups will be responsible for:

1.         Seeking necessary sponsorship for the squads.

2.         Ensuring the necessary nutritional and mental support programmes

3.         Ensuring especially for our Under 17’s the necessary focus on academics

4.         For the Under 17’s, seeking sponsorship for the hosting of the final CONCACAF round to be held in Jamaica in April 2007

5.         Finally, securing international games, a critical ingredient identified for the country to step up the ladder. For example we expect to announce very shortly two international games for our Under 17s to be played in Jamaica and against a highly competitive team. 

Hence, contrary to views expressed this administration remains solidly committed to the development of our youth programmes because we believe it is the only sustainable way to ensure consistency at the senior level.

As part of and emerging from his overall direction to the varying units, Technical Director Milutinovic will through discussions with the Technical Committee of the JFF help to develop  what we are calling a philosophy for Jamaica’s football.

We expect as this philosophy emerges that it will be the guiding principle for the sport at all levels and will, importantly, find its way centrally into the curriculum of the emerging National Academy.

In mid January 2007 we will unveil for public scrutiny and discussion the components of the ‘Back to Africa Campaign’ that will look at the details of the technical programme; the  administration;  marketing and merchandising; the relations with the sponsors, fans, including the Diaspora, the entire package.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the preparation for the World Cup in South Africa brings its own excitement and expectation and we all anticipate both the first friendly match on that route as well as the last qualifying match.

However, I would want to admit that I am also excited about the development of that philosophy for Jamaica’s football as well as the work that the Technical Director will be doing with our local coaches. We expect that this will go a far way in creating a unity of purpose and direction long, long over due. 

What can I say about the sponsors and support from both public and private sectors. It has been very, very encouraging and I wish to put on record the Federation’s sincerest appreciation to all the companies, most represented here who has given the push that we have announced today.

I wish to express a special appreciation to the Prime Minister, the Hon. Minister of Finance and the Minister of Transport who have all played very critical roles in committing public sector support.

So what we have emerging is a unity of purpose and support from both sectors

I equally wish to thank the number of corporate companies who have shown confidence in our players and recognition to the value of the sport to the nation. I hope you all realise that through your sponsorship you have all re-affirmed your faith and commitment to our country.

I call on the players to rise to the occasion and show that this confidence is well placed.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the programme remains in need of further support. We are particularly making an appeal for nutritional support and for the Adopt a Player/Unit Scheme. The latter is going to be critical in us meeting our objective of having a local squad under the continuous direction of coach Bora.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, we face exciting, challenging times. I know you share our optimism, our faith…I extend like you a real Jamaican welcome to coach Bora………looking at some of the gesticulations he been doing, he is already at home………

May I finally use the opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and enjoyable holiday season.

Thank You