WEEKS after holding divisional competitions, the technical team of Jamaica’s Special Olympics football will be conducting training skills across the island in order to send the best team to the Unified Special Olympics Championship in Brazil next year.

Technical director Lennox Christie said: “In an effort to develop football in the various parishes a number of training skills will be conducted to improve administration as well as coach delivery/competency.”

According to Christie, the plan would involve developing a “good youth programme” as they have “identified lots of talents in the Under-15 category, especially in the likes of teams from Kingston and St Thomas.

“These players have shown great potential and they will be a part of the developmental squad to be in training. Of course, this will be dependent on the support of corporate Jamaica,” he added.

Kingston, Portland, and St Catherine topped Divisions I, II, and III respectively at the recent Special Olympics football extravaganza held at the University of Technology

More than 200 players from all 14 parishes took part in five-a-side and seven-a-side matches, as the football tournament completed its fifth staging.

Kingston bested St Thomas, St Ann, Hanover, St Andrew and Clarendon in Division I, while Portland outperformed Westmoreland, Hanover, Kingston, St Andrew, Clarendon, and St James in Division II.

In Division III, St Catherine outplayed St Ann, St Elizabeth and Manchester.

Christie said the team preparing for Brazil “will be going on an all-island promotional tour across Jamaica in an effort to promote the programme and garner support for the team en route to Rio de Janiero, Brazil”.

Members of the team, called Unified Jamaica Special Olympics, which comprise players with and without intellectual disabilities, defeated Business House champions Bank of Nova Scotia on penalties in the football extravaganza to clinch the Digicel Cup.

Assisting Christie in putting together a winning combination are Rudolph Barnes, training director Orville McCatty and manager Roy Howell.