Last year's champions Pembroke Hall (left) and St Patrick's Primary.
file
The Institute of Sports’ Primary Schools Football and Netball competitions are now down the last 32 after the parish champions have been decided and the draw for the island playoffs completed.
The competition saw the participation of 280 schools for football and 190 schools for netball. This involved the active participation of approximately 8,210 students, with 5,290 participating in football inclusive of 573 females and 2,850 for netball as the parish champions were decided.
St Patrick’s Primary of Kingston are defending all-island netball champion, and they were drawn in Zone 4 alongside Golden Grove Primary of St Thomas, Lime Hall of St Ann and Mandeville Primary of Manchester.
The schools were provided with gears by INSPORTS, with action scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, January 30, when St Patrick’s takes on Lime Hall Primary.
There will be a new champion in the football as the defending champion Pembroke Hall Primary were eliminated during the St Andrew playoffs.
Permanent Secretary, Denzil Thorpe, speaking on behalf of Minister of Sports, Olivia Grange, said the tournaments mark another special achievement in Jamaica’s grassroots sporting development.
“I am sure we would all agree that the Institute of Sports has been doing an excellent job of unearthing talent, as evidenced by the fact that 12 of the 14 National Under-15 team were discovered by INSPORTS and recommended to the Jamaica Cricket Association,” Thorpe pointed out.
“That is the kind of impact we want coming out of these football and netball competitions, which are arguably the biggest age-group competition of their kind in the English-speaking Caribbean,” he added.
“One of our latest stars, Dujuan “Whisper” Richards who signed for top English club Chelsea recently, came up through the INSPORTS football competition, where he was discovered at Harbour View Primary School during the 2015/2016 season.
“These programmes will enable us to bring to the fore, the best talent there is in a competitive environment, in keeping with the INSPORTS mandate of “unearthing talent” in every nook and cranny of Jamaica,” said Thorpe.
Matches will be played on a home and away basis.
Football Play-Offs 2023- 2024
Zone 1: Unity Primary, Corinaldi Primary, Falmouth Primary, Claremont Primary
Zone 2: Little London Primary, Howard Cooke Primary, Clarks Town Primary, Bethel Primary
Zone 3: Brompton Primary, Mandeville Primary, Bethany Primary, Granville Primary
Zone 4: Ocho Rios Primary, Holland Primary, Ballas Valley Primary, New Forest Primary
Zone 5: Denbigh Primary, St Aloysius Primary, Frankfield Primary, Balmagie Primary
Zone 6: Spanish Town Primary, Rousseau Primary, Watsonton Primary, Calabar Primary
Zone 7: Golden Grove Primary, Greater Portmore Primary, Port Antonio Primary, Enfield Primary
Zone 8: Norwick Primary, Port Maria Primary, Lyssons Primary, Oracabessa Primary
Netball Play-Offs 2023-2024
Zone 1: New Hope Primary, Corinaldi Primary, First Hill All Age, Pell River Primary
Zone 2: Savanna-la-mar Primary, Irwin Primary, Clark's Town Primary, Green Island Primary
Zone 3: Brompton Primary, Little London Primary, Bethany Primary, Flankers Primary
Zone 4: Golden Grove Primary, Lime Hall Primary, St Patrick Primary, Mandeville Primary
Zone 5: Spaulding Primary, Black River Primary, Bethabara Primary, Mona Primary
Zone 6: Naggo Head Primary, Half Way Tree Primary, Frankfield Primary, Nazareth Primary
Zone 7: Lyssons Primary, Bridgeport Primary, Seaside Primary, Oracabessa Primary
Zone 8: Buff Bay Primary, Port Maria Primary, White Horses Primary, Clan Carthy Primary
Dowie insists Bompastor appointment shows growth of WSL
Natasha Dowie believes Chelsea's appointment of Sonia Bompastor highlights the new-found global appeal of the Women's Super League.
Bompastor enjoyed three successful years at Lyon, including winning a Champions League, before deciding to move on and replace Emma Hayes this summer.
Hayes led the Blues to seven WSL titles overall, winning each of the last five in a row, and Bompastor now has the challenge of becoming the first manager in WSL history to win the league on their first attempt.
Dowie, who is now a Liverpool ambassador after winning the league twice with the Reds, thinks it shows just how much the WSL has grown in recent times.
She told Stats Perform: "I think it's not just the best players in the world that want to come and play in England now, it's the best managers in the world. And that wasn't the case back in the day, and I think that's just brilliant."
Furthermore, Dowie also notes that her appointment could also prove crucial in terms of Chelsea finally claiming their elusive Champions League title, following several near misses and a defeat in the 2021 final.
"She's won everything at Lyon," Dowie added. "So now to move to a club like Chelsea, who have pretty much won the league the last five years, I think now the challenge for her and what she probably is excited about is how can we help Chelsea win the Champions League? That's all they haven't won."
The former striker is also excited at the prospect of Sam Kerr returning from injury, believing that she can once again play a key role for the Blues.
The Australian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear during Chelsea's winter training camp in January, ruling her out for the second half of the season.
Before her injury, Kerr was averaging 0.61 goals per 90 minutes, from 3.66 shots per 90, with a 16.67% conversion rate.
"[Kerr] is the number one striker, and she does it in the big pressure games, she always produces, and I think they missed her last year even though they won the league," Dowie said.
"I think that to have a Sam Kerr in your team - it's a nightmare for any team and I think all fans, the way that she's entertaining as well, the backflip, the kind of charisma that she has, she brings a lot to the game.
"So yeah, I think we're all excited to see her back performing."
Dowie predicts Manchester United to have an improved WSL campaign this year, following their FA Cup final success last season.
The Red Devils finished just two points behind Chelsea in 2022-23 but struggled to replicate that last year, and have since lost key players, including Mary Earps.
"I do think United will push on again this year," said Dowie.
"I think that to be fighting for the title with Chelsea the year before and then to obviously finish fifth last year was really disappointing.
"I think there'll be a team this year that will be up there again competing for trophies, so you could say that United could be a surprise package."
JC, Excelsior share spoils in entertaining 2-2 Zone F stalemate
Jamaica College extended their unbeaten run in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup as they secured a hard-fought 2-2 stalemate with Excelsior in an intriguing Zone F encounter at Ashenheim Stadium on Thursday.
Dyllan John’s brace in the 50th and 88th minutes rescued a point for the many-time champions after Kimarly Scott (53rd) and Damarley Williams (58th) got on the scoresheet for Excelsior.
With the point, Jamaica College inched up to seven points atop the standing, one point ahead of Ascot High, who moved to six points after they edged Pembroke Hall 1-0 in the curtain-raiser of the double-header courtesy of Oshawny Facey’s 61st-minute strike.
Excelsior sit third on four points, while Bridgeport and Pembroke Hall remain pointless on the five-team standing.
Jamaica College’s head coach, Davion Ferguson, took heart from the performance.
“I’m proud of the performance that we put on. We came up against a very good Excelsior team that got their tactics right in the first half, but we reacted well in the second half, and I think we should have won the game,” Ferguson said.
“I didn’t have to motivate my players for this game; they have the quality and they know what is at stake. But like I said, I think Excelsior are a very good team, they gave us a challenge, and I think we responded well,” he added.
Excelsior were more lively at the start and almost broke the deadlock in the fourth minute when Shadeko Wizzard unleashed a stinging left-footer that rocketed off the left upright.
Jamaica College responded soon after through Giovanni Taylor, who got through on goal in the seventh minute, but his effort was kept out by Jamari Gordon, who left his line well.
Wizzard was again left cursing his luck in the 14th minute as he rifled another effort from an angle that burst through Nathaniel Aiken’s hands, but the ball came back off the crossbar.
Jamaica College also went close to finding the go-ahead goal when Nashordo Gibbs’ went on the break in the 41st minute but failed to beat Gordon’s outstretched leg as the score remained goalless at the break.
The ‘Dark Blues’ maintained the momentum on the resumption and found the lead five minutes in when Gordon strayed well outside his area and lost possession to John, who capitalised with an effort from distant that trickled across the line.
Excelsior pulled level three minutes later when Scott finished his third goal of the season with aplomb after Jamaica College failed to clear their line from Wizzard's cross.
The Mountain View Avenue team then surged ahead five minutes later when Williams went on a break down the left channel and had enough time and space to set and slot through Aiken’s legs.
Just when it seemed as if Excelsior had the points in the bag, John broke their hearts as he converted from the penalty spot after Jabari Howell's driven freekick was handled inside the area.
Excelsior’s Head coach, Keon Broderick, welcomed the point but felt they deserved more.
“I’m a bit disappointed that we couldn’t come out here with the three points, but, nonetheless, one point away from home is always good. A point at Jamaica College is definitely something to cheer about,” he noted.
Thursday's results
Jamaica College 2, Excelsior 2
Ascot High 1, Pembroke Hall 0
Wolmer's Boys 8, St Mary's College 0
Edith Dalton 0, Denham Town 1
Tivoli Gardens High 1, St Jago 0
Reggae Girlz confirm friendly internationals for October and November FIFA windows
The Jamaica Football Federation have confirmed two friendly internationals for the Reggae Girlz as they continue their preparation for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which kicks off in 2025.
The Reggae Girlz will be playing a friendly international against World Number 10 France on Friday October 25, 2024 at the Stade Auguste-Bonal (home of FC Sochaux-Montbeliard) which is located in Eastern France.
Kick-off is slated for 9:05 pm local time and 2:05pm Jamaica time. France were quarter-finalists in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Reggae Girlz have fond memories with France as Jamaica’s first FIFA Women’s World Cup Appearance in 2019 came in France and Jamaica’s first ever point at a FIFA Women’s World Cup came against the French in the 2023 tournament in Australia in a 0-0 draw.
The 42nd ranked Reggae Girlz will also face South Africa (who are ranked 50th in the World) on November 29 and December 2 at home.
This will be the first time both teams are facing each other since April 2019 in Durban when both teams played out a 1-1 draw.
Both South Africa and Jamaica made their debut in the senior Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France and in 2023 both teams advanced to the Round of 16 of the World Cup.
Details will follow in subsequent releases in relation to kick off times and venues of these two matches.
President of the Jamaica Football Federation Michael Ricketts welcomes these games for the Reggae Girlz.
“We want to give our Reggae Girlz the best opportunity to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and we feel these upcoming friendly internationals to end 2024 are beneficial to the coaching staff and players to help them prepare for the World Cup Qualifiers.”
World Cup Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in CONCACAF in 2025.
CONCACAF will have 4 spots for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be hosted in Brazil and two other teams from CONCACAF will qualify for the Intercontinental playoffs.
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