Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer
Digicel's regional head of sponsorship, Kieran Foley (left), tries to get past Reggae Boyz Assistant Coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, during a Digicel All-Stars versus a JFF All-Stars exhibition match at Barbican playfield yesterday. The match took place after the official launch of the Digicel Caribbean Championships, which will begin next Wednesday at the National Stadium. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
THE REGGAE Boyz will face Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors, Grenada's Spice Boyz and Barbados in Group A of the 2008 Digicel Caribbean Championships, which will be held from December 3-14 at Jarrett Park, the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium and the National Stadium.
The championships, which were launched admid great fanfare at the Barbican playfield yesterday, will see the Boyz opening their campaign against Barbados on Wednesday, December 3, at the National Stadium, before going up against the Soca Warriors - the only Caribbean team through to the final round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers - on Sunday, December 7 at Jarrett Park.
The Boyz, who are seeking to reclaim the championship they last won three years ago, will then close out their preliminary round campaign with a game against the Spice Boyz, who had defeated Jamaica in a pre-World Cup qualifying friendly earlier this year.
Exciting tournament
"We are delighted to bring back the Digicel Caribbean Champion-ships to Jamaica and are looking forward to a close, hard-fought and exciting tournament, which serves as a qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup," said Digicel's head of sponsorship, Kieran Foley, at yesterday's launch, which included members of the Jamaica team, the media and well-wishers.
"This is an international championship, which will be beamed live to over 320 million people, as far away as Asia. With Jamaica being hosts we expect nothing but a stellar event," he said.
The championships, which, over the last couple of years, were staged in Trinidad and Tobago, will see the top four teams advancing to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will be held in the United States next June.
Defending champions
Haiti, who, similar to hosts Jamaica got a bye to the finals, are defending champions and will seek to defend their title from Group B with the likes of Cuba, Guadeloupe and Antigua and Barbuda, who they will play in their opening encounter on Thursday, December 4, at Jarrett Park.
"This competition is very, very important to football in the region and, on behalf of CFU president, Austin 'Jack' Warner, who was unable to attend the launch and sent his deepest apologies, I want to express our gratitude to you, Digicel, for investing in the sport," said Caribbean Football Union vice president and Jamaica Football Federation president, Captain Horace Burrell.
"The championships has so far resulted in improved standards among lesser footballing nations of the region, who are no longer receiving heavy defeats and, with your continued sponsorship, the aim is to make it as world class as any other regional championship in the world," Burrell said.
Admission for the games, which will begin at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the National Stadium and Jarrett Park and 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Trelawny stadium, will be $500, $1,000 and $1,500.
