Minister for Culture, Gender, Leisure and Sport Olivia Grange has announced the prize worth $900,000 to the top four teams from the 2023 Institute of Sport (Insportet) primary school football and netball competitions. The announcement was made on Thursday at the National Stadium as she started the draw for the final round of these competitions.
“The winning schools in both the netball and soccer competitions will receive $200,000 each, while the runners-up will receive $125,000,” Grange said.
“Third place teams will collect $75,000 and $50,000 will go to fourth place teams. In addition, the winning coaches will receive $10,000 gift vouchers each,” she added.
The competitions started with more than 200 schools and now there are 32 in football and 32 in netball.
The sports minister said the competitions are probably the best of their kind anywhere in the English-speaking Caribbean. She said Inports will be one of the entities that Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Sports and Community Development, Shamfa Cudjoe, will meet with during a study visit by the minister and her delegation to Jamaica from January 22 to 28.
“The study tour was agreed upon during bilateral discussions held in August last year between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Insport, fulfilling its mandate, enables us to bring to the fore in a competitive environment the best young talent from across Jamaica.
“I made a proposal some time ago that the younger talent from the national Insport primary school football and netball competitions come together for a one-day clinic and perhaps an exhibition game followed by technical people from the Jamaica Football and Netball Federation. Jamaica would appreciate them.
“Insport ambassadors Ian ‘Pepe’ Goodison and Oberon Pitterson-Nattie must lead this charge. This would be similar to an initiative I had started with the Jamaica Cricket Association from which I am happy and excited to say that we identified four women cricketers from Insport’s all-island cricket search who made the national team U-19,” Grange said.
She added, “I am encouraged by the teamwork and cooperation between Insport and sports associations. I know we are all very happy to welcome racing back after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Minister Grange also made a presentation of the hurdles for the 2019 track and field winners in the three regions, East, Central and West. The respective winners were St Richard’s Primary, Spanish Town Primary and Black River Primary.
