Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Lola Chin Sang (right), a member of the JFF's protocol committee, reads a message from René Simoes at the press conference announcing his return as technical director of the national side yesterday. At centre is JFF president Captain Horace Burrell while Horace Reid, the organisation's general secretary, looks on. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) yesterday continued to advocate that in order to improve Jamaica's football programme and ensure the Reggae Boyz's schedule to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the organisation will need more than $1 billion.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday announcing the return of former Reggae Boyz technical director René Simoes, Gary Sinclair, treasurer of the federation, stated that fully preparing the team for the CONCACAF round of qualifying matches and onwards would incur major expenses.

They include conducting local and overseas training camps, airfares for the local and overseas players, match fees and the general administrative costs of running the administration.

Commitments

Although several private sector sponsors, including Digicel, Red Stripe, Jamaica National Building Society and National Commercial Bank, as well as the Jamaican Government, have reaffirmed their commitment to assisting the national football programme, according to Sinclair, the federation still needs additional support from other private and public sector sponsors.

"The Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, has pledged her ministry and the Government's full support to revamp the national football programme," Sinclair said.

Yvonne Wilks, marketing manager of Digicel, backed Sinclair and expressed her organisation's commitment to supporting the national programme and implored other sponsors to get on board. "This is a fabulous time for football in Jamaica and we need the commitment and support to push the programme forward," Wilks said.

Airfares

The president of the JFF, Captain Horace Burrell, said his federation was in negotiations with the new Air Jamaica administration to broker a deal to reduce the cost of airfares for its players to destinations outside of Europe.

"We are in discussions with the Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry, who has instructed the chairman of Air Jamaica to open negotiations," Burrell said. Negotiations are also under way with Virgin Atlantic.

"Air Jamaica no longer provides service to the United Kingdom and Europe. Most of our overseas players are based in Europe and therefore we have to mak arrangements for our players to travel between Jamaica and Europe," Burrell said.