GRAY...I think we deserve it and we are going to work our hardest to get there.
file
Despite enduring a failed Copa America campaign, England-born winger Demarai Gray believes Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz displayed some semblance of improvement in the tournament, which has left him excited at the prospects to come in their push for a 2026 FIFA World Cup berth.
Though they lost 0-1 to Mexico, 1-3 to Ecuador, and 0-3 to Venezuela -in what turned out to be Heimir Hallgrimsson's last assignment in charge -Gray pointed to the positives and the lessons learnt, which he is optimistic they will apply under the new Head coach for the remainder of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
"I think it (Copa America) has shown us that there is more quality out there at international level and no matter the team, there are quality players and quality competition. That goes for us as well. We have quality players; it’s just about putting it together and developing. I’ve said it many times, I think we’re a work in progress. The improvement has been there and I think there’s a lot of improvement to come. Personally, I’m excited," Gray said in a sit down with FIFA.
The Boyz have already registered 1-0 and 3-2 victories over Dominican Republic and Dominica in their two qualifying fixtures to date, with British Virgin Islands and Guatemala next in their line of sight.
However, with the qualifiers on pause until next year, Gray explained that the Concacaf Nations League, which begins in September, and possible friendly encounters will serve in fine tuning their technical and tactical efficiency, as their main target is to secure one of three automatic berths to the global showpiece.
"There’s no better start than two wins and I feel like we just have to continue that in the rest of qualifying. The World Cup is something that we’re eager to reach, so it’s a great start and now we just have to maintain that level of performance," Gray said.
"There are a lot of different games that we have to play, Nations League, friendlies. The World Cup qualifying games are obviously very exciting because we want to get over the line as quickly as possible. But when you play for Jamaica, the fixture or whatever competition you’re playing in, it’s just exciting to be part of the team. At the end of the day, the goal is to win every game we play, so we’ll just take that mentality into each game. When the World Cup qualifiers come around, it will be very exciting for us," he added.
Gray, who joined Jamaica's set up in 2023, has no doubt that the current crop of Reggae Boyz possess enough quality to replicate the country's 1998 qualifying feat.
In fact, the 28-year-old was quick to point out that the Theodore Whitmore-led team that graced the global stage in France back then, has fuelled their aspirations to rise to the occasion.
"It (France 1998 team) is a special team. Sometimes in meetings we’ll watch clips and stuff of that team and now we’re trying to re-create those memories. As I’ve said, it's exciting to be part of that process, and I’m confident that we will be there with the players that we have here now," Gray said with an air of confidence.
"It is a dream for me. To participate in a World Cup, a competition you watch as a kid, I just think that for the boys and the nation it would be massive. I think we deserve it and we are going to work our hardest to get there," he declared.
With five goals and four assists in 14 games so far, Gray, who possesses speed and flair has become an indispensable asset in the Reggae Boyz team along with other heritage players, Michail Antonio, and Bobby Reid, just to name a few.
While speculations are rife that Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson could soon add to the country's bevy of dynamic attacking players, the reality remains that games are played on the pitch and not on paper, something Gray is well aware of.
"There’s always talk of guys potentially joining Jamaica, but what we have in this group is good, too. We have good togetherness here within the group, so whatever players we choose or call up is down to the federation. But what we’ve got in the squad now, I’m happy with it and it’s a great environment to come to work in," Gray noted, as he urged fans and neutrals alike to stick with the team.
"We just ask for their full support, as they’ve always given the team, given to myself. I’m grateful for it. We just ask that they stay behind us and there are a lot of exciting times ahead," he ended.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
JFF confirms Yorke's application for Head coach, but uncertainty surrounds former T&T stalwart's chances in selection process
At one point, the thought of Dwight Yorke leading Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz setup would have been far-fetched, but not anymore.
This, as the former Trinidad and Tobago and Manchester United stalwart was among 40 candidates that threw their proverbial hats in the ring to fill Jamaica’s Head coach spot, which was left vacant following Heimir Hallgrimsson’s resignation.
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) confirmed Yorke’s application, but with the number of potential candidates now narrowed down to five, general secretary Dennis Chung was reluctant to say whether or not the 52-year-old made the shortlist.
“We actually got about 40 applicants from Europe, South America and in the Concacaf region, and Technical Committee Chairman [Rudolph Speid] have cut that down to five. So we will be doing the interviews in another week or so and then we will announce the successful candidate,” Chung said during a press conference on Wednesday.
“He [Dwight Yorke] did apply, but as it relates to the five, I don’t want to say who it is as yet. But certainly Dwight is someone who was in the initial 40,” he added
Yorke, who took his first steps into management in 2022 when he was appointed Head coach of Australian side Macarthur FC, lifted the Australia Cup that same year with the A-League side, before parting ways with the club in 2023.
While his experience from a managerial perspective may not be as glittery as that of other potential candidates, Yorke admitted that he has gained knowledge from several legendary figures, including Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger.
“I’ve spent time with the likes of Pep, Sir Alex, Steve McLaren and Arsene Wenger,” Yorke told The Mirror.
“They will tell you: everyone wants to play attacking, front-foot football. I love that, being an attacker myself. You want to just score goals but there is a balance here. If you don’t have [a] good structure and a good system in place, then you are always likely to struggle,” he added.
SportsMax.TV understands that former Reggae Boy turned coach Jobi McAnuff, and former Reggae Boyz assistant Miguel Coley were also among the candidates that applied for the job.
Meanwhile, Chung explained that the JFF has taken lessons from Hallgrimsson’s tenure and eventual departure, as the Icelandic coach was said to have had a strained relationship with the federation.
Shortly after quitting Jamaica’s programme, following a failed Copa America campaign, Hallgrimsson was appointed by the Republic of Ireland.
“We have certainly taken a lot of lessons from it, I don’t necessarily agree with some of the things that were said, having gone through the process and we know what happened. What I was referring to being surprised about is that my expectation is that if someone knows they are going to leave, they should give adequate notice that is the professional way to do it,” Chung said.
“So we know that the signs were there, but we expected that on a professional basis, the appropriate notice would have been given. But it worked out for us because as soon as the [Hallgrimsson’s] announcement was made, we started getting interest from all around the world,” he shared.
Olympic dream in jeopardy, attorneys to file urgent appeal for hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis
Attorneys representing Jamaica’s hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis are set to file an urgent appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad hoc committee if the uncertainty surrounding her participation in the 2024 Olympic Games remains unresolved by 5 pm today, Wednesday, July 16.
Despite achieving a National Record of 71.83 metres in May, ranking her in the top 32 in the world this year, Clunis's dream of competing on the world’s biggest stage is now hanging in the balance due to a blunder from the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).
The 28-year-old, who placed second at the JAAA National Senior Championships, initially believed she was on her way to the Olympics. However, her excitement turned to dismay when she learned that her name was omitted from the JAAA’s official list submitted to World Athletics.
“Following the Jamaican Olympic Trials, I was elated to receive notification of my official selection to Team Jamaica. Unfortunately, I have since found myself in a difficult position. Due to an omission made by the Jamaican Athletics Administration Association, my name was not officially submitted to World Athletics. As such, I do not have a position in the Olympic Games,” Clunis shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
However, after no word forthcoming from the JAAA, attorneys representing the frustrated athlete - Dr. Emir Crowne and local attorney Sayeed Bernard – have written to the JAAA informing of their intended action.
"Mr. Bernard and I act for Ms. Nayoka Clunis, an athlete who should be well-known to you by now. As is also common ground, the JAAA’s admitted negligence (gross negligence, in some jurisdictions) has put Ms. Clunis’ Olympic dreams in jeopardy. In the absence of any updates as to Ms. Clunis’ situation by 5 p.m. today, we have been instructed to file an emergency appeal to the CAS’s ad hoc division."
The letter continued, "Indeed, we are hopeful that an appeal to the CAS is not necessary, but the JAAA’s negligence and radio silence since July 7th has left our client with few options, not to mention the irreparable damage this has done to the mental and emotional well-being. Athletes deserve better."
While Clunis awaits a resolution, her plight underscores the importance of strong administrative leadership, as the oversight by the JAAA could potentially rob an athlete who has shown remarkable dedication in her sport of the opportunity to achieve her dream on the global stage.
Jamaica tops inaugural Ice Hockey Challenger Series
Jamaica’s Ice Hockey team emerged victorious in the final match of the Challenger Series after beating a very strong Lebanon team 12-8 at the College Ice Arena in Toronto on Saturday evening.
In a pulsating match played before hundreds of cheering supporters, Jamaica took the early lead in the first period but fell behind after Lebanon scored three unanswered goals over the next 15 minutes of the first period. During the second of three 20-minute periods, Jamaica regrouped and fought back to take a 6-4 lead, before Lebanon pulled level at 6-6.
Buoyed by the enthusiastic support from the massive crowd, Jamaica asserted their authority on the contest to end the period at 9–6. With victory in sight at the start of the third and final period, the Jamaicans applied pressure on their Lebanese counterparts and extended their lead to 11-7 with four minutes left in the game.
Tight defensive work then ensured Jamaica added to their tally, though they also conceded another goal in the latter stages of the encounter. Reggie Millette and Givani Smith both scored a brace, while Maleek McGowan, Captain Taos Jordan, Amari Sellers, Tyler Drummond, Dante Sheriff, Avery Grant, Josh Mitton, and Marquis Grant-Mentis got the others.
The Challenger Series is a new tournament involving Puerto Rico, Lebanon, and Jamaica, who are all associate members of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
The Challenger Series began in Chicago in April, continued in New York in June, and culminated in Toronto on Saturday. At the end of the second leg in New York, Jamaica was in pole position and, as such, earned the automatic right to the final by virtue of the accumulation of points over the first two legs.
Lebanon defeated Puerto Rico 9-3 in the playoff for a spot in the final.
Across the three legs, Jamaica won six of their nine matches and now has an overall tally of 22 matches since it started to play competitively in 2019. Their record currently stands at 16 wins and six losses, with over 100 goals to their tally.
Don Anderson, president of the Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF), said the Federation is now setting its sights on establishing an ice rink in Jamaica as well as building a strong local program that will facilitate the team playing in qualifying tournaments for the Olympics. He added that expert opinion is that this team could be highly ranked globally if it had the opportunity to play at the next level amongst countries with Ice Rinks.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
