RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann — Runaway Bay FC were last week declared champion of champions in the Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners 2010 Community Football League competition during an Awards Ceremony at the HEART Hotel in Runaway Bay, St Ann.

Runaway Bay FC copped the championship trophy following their win in the Plant league over Brown’s Town Masters and their subsequent thrashing of the winner in the Mines league Aabuthnott Gallimore High during a winners play-off to take the grand prize.

President of Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners, Pansy Johnson, said her company was committed to continue sponsoring the league once there is discipline among the teams and that the bauxite company was very pleased with the league.

“We have always maintained that once there is a high level of discipline from all persons involved Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners will continue to play its part in ensuring that the association with this programme continues.”

Johnson said as part of the company’s push to continue to assist with the development of football at the junior level, it would soon introduce a football competition for prep and primary school students in the parish.

Meanwhile, chairman of the technical committee at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Howard McIntosh, said the JFF was pleased with the level of support Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners was giving to football in the parish.

Addressing the awards ceremony last Thursday afternoon, McIntosh said there was need for greater investment in sports as it contributes significantly to the country’s economy.

“We need for sports to have the commitment, to have the investment and the sponsorship so that Jamaica can truly realise its potential in sports,” McIntosh said as he delivered the main address at the ceremony.

McIntosh said football, and sports in general, is big business and that its value must be recognised. He said Government’s support was needed to implement a sports policy and that a commitment to sports and football was urgently needed.

The two top teams, Runaway Bay FC and Aabuthnott Gallimore High were each presented with $50,000, as well as medals and trophies. The most valuable players were Kantar Robinson (Plant league) and Miguel Foreman (Mines league).

The competition which is in its third year started last July and involved 36 teams from various communities in the western part of the parish. More than 100 games were played and some 218 goals scored.