PRESIDENT of the St James Football Association, George Evans, this week presented more than $200,000 in sponsorship to the Westmoreland Football Association’s Under-13 Primary Schools competition.

In making the presentation, he urged all the stakeholders involved in the games to ensure that the young participants’ educational needs are not neglected.

“It is imperative that coaches, teachers, parents and management instill a balance of playing football and meeting these youngsters’ educational obligation,” said Evans.

Evans was particularly concerned about what he said was “the lack of a rebuilding programme” for western teams involved in the National Premier League.

Said he: “For 11 years (running), up to about five years ago, the competition was dominated by western teams,” he reminisced about previous sterling performances by teams in the western parts of the island.

Evans went on to note that while the western teams were enjoying success, the Kingston teams were planning “counter attacks”. The football association head also empathised with former Premier League giants, Seba and Reno, who lost their spots in the elite competition and described Wadadah as “lucky” for having missed relegation by “the skin of its teeth”.

In addition to the sponsorship cheques, four companies — Gray’s Pepper, Federal Tyres, Action Auto Parts and the Frome Division of Sugar Company of Jamaica — have adopted one team each.

Before handing over the funds donated by his company the general manager for Beaches Negril, Patrick Drake, spoke of the hurdle recent violent trends in some institutions had presented in convincing the corporate world to become sponsors. Drake said he would do his part to help curb school violence by maintaining a presence throughout the competition which, he said, would be managed “like a hotel”.

Within this context, Drake said the attire of the players will equal that of his hotel staff. “They will be well-dressed.” In addition, he said the football fields used in the competition will be as immaculate as the hotel grounds and the games will be as entertaining as the shows staged for hotel guests.

In handing over the sponsorship cheques to president of the Westmoreland Football Association, Everton Tomlinson, Drake also committed Beaches Negril to further prizes for outstanding players.

Tomlinson assured the hotel manager that the money was in good hands and would be used to mould the youngsters in preparation for bigger challenges. According to Tomlinson, the parish has had a vibrant youth programme for the past two years, which also includes female footballers.