IF one checks the Jamaica Yellow Pages one would realise that Global Directories Limited has taken over the sponsorship of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Jackie Bell Knock-out competition.

The sponsorship package is worth $12 million over three years, it was announced at a press conference at the Jamaica Yellow Pages head office on Constant Spring Road yesterday.

Jamaica Yellow Pages is published by Global Directories, which produces local business and residential telephones directories for LIME in Jamaica and other markets across the Caribbean.

Lester Garnett, Jamaica manager, Global Directories Limited, said it was their pleasure to be involved in sport in Jamaica.

“We recognised the tremendous impact football has on the Jamaican psyche for many years and we welcomed the opportunity to be involved with football,” said Garnett.

“This multimillion-dollar, multi-year sponsorship is a continuation of our effort to give back to the communities in a tangible way. As a company, our major focus in recent years has been on programmes to create social change,” he added.

This sponsorship by Jamaica Yellow Pages is their first foray into sports, and marketing manager, Cecelia Bell — a cousin of Wintrope “Jackie” Bell, in whose honour the competition is named — said the endorsement represented years of discussion with KSAFA.

“I’m really happy that this has come to fruition and the fact is we have been looking at a way in which we can impact the communities and we thought sport was a good way to do this,” said Bell.

“We thought football at the club level is a suitable avenue to do this and to project the Jamaica Yellow Pages brand in a positive and meaningful way,” she noted.

KSAFA president Rudolph Speid, in thanking the new sponsor for the 24th staging of the competition, said he was delighted they decided to come on board.

“Over the years the competition has had five sponsors and this year, KSAFA is pleased to announced the sixth sponsor, the Jamaica Yellow Pages — a first-time sponsor of football,” Speid pointed out to loud applause.

Thirty teams will participate in the tournament, which kicks off today with six matches:

JDF vs Constant Spring at Up Park Camp; Greenwich Town vs Olympic Gardens at Tinson Pen; Molynes United vs Mountain View at Molynes Field; Allman/Woodford vs Real Mona at Heroes Circle; University of the West Indies vs Duhaney Park at UWI Bowl and August Town vs Santos at Bell/Chung Oval. All matches start at 3:00 pm.

The five KSAFA Premier League teams — defending champions Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, Arnett Gardens, Waterhouse and Boys’ Town — will join the competition at the quarter-final stage.

The winning team will walk away with $300,000 — down from the $350,000 last year — second place $200,000, third place $150,000 and fourth place, $100,000.

The top two non-Premier League teams will pocket $50,000 each, plus there will be a $5,000 winning incentive for every game won.

“I must thank the Jamaica Yellow Pages for their partnership with KSAFA and you will get everything you need,” said Speid in his closing remarks.